Donners Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 Pre-season, 13/14 AUSTRALIA vs UZBEKISTAN, World Cup Qualifiers (Asia), 3rd round Group A, Away Australia 3 (Burns 18; og 33; Williams 74) d. Uzbekistan 1 (29) AUSTRALIA vs IRAN, World Cup Qualifiers (Asia), 3rd round Group A, Home Australia 2 (Williams 22; Milicevic 46) d. Iran 1 (89) As expected, the pre-season was an absolute mess, with players and staff going in and out. Of those who stayed, Kent Hansen and Vilerush attracted attention from the likes of Bolton, Real Madrid and Deportivo, but respective asking prices of ₤2.5M and ₤5M deterred them. I offered most senior players with expiring contracts new deals which were better than their current ones but far below their demands. Yan Klukowski and Ben Gill were re-signed, but I eventually got fed up with senior veterans Bostwick, McCallum, Anya and Stamp, and cut all four.. Deportivo and Inter came in with big offers for midfielder Vidar Helgerud, and I eventually sold him to Inter for a club record ₤5M. Adam Legzdins walked out at the end of his contract, as did coaches Geoff Evans and Will Weedon. Of those coming in, perhaps my two smartest signings were coaches Mehdi Nafti (a former Tunisian international who spent his career in France) and Mark McLaughlin (a Scottish veteran), boosting our knowledge base significantly. Thanks to Nafti, I was able to spot young French star Thierry Palma. Lithuanian international Kestutis Zutautas was the biggest name to sign on, but I forked out ₤375K for Bolton's Eamonn Bradshaw. The board announced that the stadium would be increased by 5,649 seats, with Rushden temporarily relocating to Sixfields Stadium. Five pre-season games saw two wins and three draws, albeit against pretty minor opposition. Profiles for McCallum, Bostwick, Stamp and Anya follow: ================================================================================================ Gavin McCallum - Rushden Career 1/7/07 - 28/7/13 ================================================================================================ Year Apps Gls Asts Yel Red MoM Av R ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2007/2008 21 (6) 5 4 1 0 1 7.19 2008/2009 22 (4) 3 5 1 0 1 6.96 2009/2010 11 (2) 4 3 0 0 1 7.40 2010/2011 24 (3) 1 6 0 0 0 7.03 2011/2012 31 (2) 5 12 0 0 4 7.13 2012/2013 13 (1) 0 3 0 0 0 6.90 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTAL 122 (18) 18 33 2 0 7 7.11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DOB: 24/8/1987 Position: AM RL Nationality: Canadian/English International Caps/Goals: 26/2 Total Career League Games: 122 Previous Clubs: Yeovil (3 games) Achievements: 01/05/08 - English Conference National Player of the Month for April 24/04/10 - English Conference National champions 03/04/11 - English Johnstone's Paint Trophy Runners Up 05/05/12 - English League One champions Named in English Conference Team of the Week: 4 times Named in English League One Team of the Week: 7 times Named in English Championship Team of the Week: 1 time ================================================================================================ Michael Bostwick - Rushden Career 11/1/06 - 28/7/13 ================================================================================================ Year Apps Gls Asts Yel Red MoM Av R ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2006/2007 33 (1) 3 1 4 0 0 6.85 2007/2008 22 (4) 2 3 1 0 3 7.19 2008/2009 24 (4) 2 2 2 0 1 6.96 2009/2010 30 3 1 2 0 2 7.40 2010/2011 32 (3) 2 0 4 0 2 7.03 2011/2012 31 (1) 3 2 2 1 0 7.13 2012/2013 28 (2) 1 1 3 0 0 6.90 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTAL 200 (15) 16 10 18 1 8 7.06 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DOB: 17/5/1988 Position: D/M C Nationality: English International Caps/Goals: 0/0 Total Career League Games: 191 Previous Clubs: Crawley (5 games) Achievements: 24/04/10 - English Conference National champions 03/04/11 - English Johnstone's Paint Trophy Runners Up 05/05/12 - English League One champions Named in English Conference Team of the Week: 15 times Named in English League Two Team of the Week: 1 time Named in English League One Team of the Week: 6 tim ================================================================================================ Dean Stamp - Rushden Career 1/7/09 - 28/7/13 ================================================================================================ Year Apps Gls Asts Yel Red MoM Av R ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2009/2010 27 (2) 17 11 1 0 4 7.41 2010/2011 23 (4) 21 11 2 0 7 7.37 2011/2012 36 (2) 21 5 2 0 4 7.32 2012/2013 6 (6) 4 1 0 0 0 6.75 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTAL 92 (14) 63 28 5 0 15 7.29 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DOB: 3/10/1988 Position: ST Nationality: English International Caps/Goals: 0/0 Total Career League Games: 138 Previous Clubs: Exeter (5 games), Shrewsbury (28 games) Achievements: 01/11/09 - English Conference National Player of the Month for October 20/06/10 - 2009/10 Rushden Supporters' Player of the Year 24/04/10 - English Conference National champions 03/04/11 - English Johnstone's Paint Trophy RUnners Up 05/05/12 - English League One champions 27/05/12 - Named in English League One Players' Select 19/06/12 - 2011/12 Rushden Supporters' Player of the Year Named in English Conference Team of the Week: 2 times Named in English League Two Team of the Week: 3 times Named in English League One Team of the Week: 2 times ================================================================================================ Ikechi Anya - Rushden Career 13/7/07 - 28/7/13 ================================================================================================ Year Apps Gls Asts Yel Red MoM Av R ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2007/2008 21 2 6 2 0 2 7.00 2008/2009 17 (5) 3 3 0 0 1 6.73 2009/2010 26 (5) 3 7 1 0 2 7.00 2010/2011 28 (4) 3 10 3 1 1 7.06 2011/2012 35 (2) 1 9 0 0 1 7.24 2012/2013 11 (13) 2 4 2 0 0 6.79 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTAL 138 (29) 14 39 8 1 7 7.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DOB: 17/5/1988 Position: AM RL Nationality: Scottish International Caps/Goals: 0/0 Total Career League Games: 159 Previous Clubs: Wycombe (12 games) Achievements: 24/04/10 - English Conference National champions 01/02/11 - English League Two Player of the Month for January 05/05/12 - English League One champions 27/05/12 - Named in English Players' League One Select Named in English Conference Team of the Week: 3 times Named in English League Two Team of the Week: 1 time Named in English League One Team of the Week: 3 times Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 SEASON OVERVIEW 13/14 The Club Home Ground: Nene Park, Irthlingborough (currently at Sixfields Stadium, Northampton – capacity 8,389) Rivals: Kettering, Northampton (fierce); Peterborough, Oxford, Luton Reputation: Regional Estimated Value: ₤4.8M Balance ₤15.25M Transfer Budget: ₤5.3M (₤10M remaining) Media Prediction: 10th Board Expectation: Respectable league position Fan Expectation: Promotion Staff Chairman: Keith Cousins Assistant Manager: Jack Reilly Coaches: Scott Gemmill, Kevin Horlock, Mehdi Nafti, Mark McLaughlin (General); Mark McGeown (GK); Liam Grieves (Youth) Physio: Eoin Jess Scouts: Antonio North, Andy McWilliam, Craig Graham The Squad | Pkd | Inf | Name | No. | Squad Status | Cnt | Weekly wage | Expires | Value | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MR | | Casey Owen | 10 | Key Player | F/T | £1,700 | 30.6.2016 | £1.3M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | GK | | Wayne Henderson | 24 | First Team | F/T | £2,300 | 30.6.2014 | £95K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DR | Tut | Glenn Wilson | 2 | First Team | F/T | £1,100 | 30.6.2014 | £20K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S3 | | Anthony Grant | 21 | First Team | F/T | £1,700 | 30.6.2014 | £100K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MC | Unh | Frankie Artus | 12 | First Team | F/T | £575 | 30.6.2014 | £35K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | ML | Unh | Emil Hallfreðsson | 7 | First Team | F/T | £2,600 | 30.6.2014 | £650K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MC | | Yan Klukowski | 20 | First Team | F/T | £1,100 | 30.6.2015 | £100K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | | Aaron Beech | 18 | First Team | F/T | £475 | 30.6.2014 | £35K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S1 | | Aaron Morgan | 3 | First Team | F/T | £475 | 30.6.2014 | £22K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | | Danny Glover | - | First Team | F/T | £1,100 | 30.6.2015 | £70K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | | Graham Hart | 15 | First Team | F/T | £950 | 30.6.2015 | £1.3M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S5 | Wnt | Vitalijs Vilerush | 25 | First Team | F/T | £850 | 30.6.2016 | £825K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | Wnt | Levi Koopman | 34 | First Team | F/T | £1,600 | 30.6.2016 | £1.4M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S4 | Wnt | Harry Kewell | 31 | Rotation | F/T | £1,100 | 30.6.2014 | £3K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Alex Bryant | 1 | Rotation | F/T | £650 | 30.6.2014 | £95K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S2 | | Kelvin Lomax | 13 | Rotation | F/T | £650 | 30.6.2014 | £16K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Lee Tomlin | 14 | Rotation | F/T | £875 | 30.6.2014 | £50K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Slt | Barry Callaghan | 29 | Rotation | F/T | £1,400 | 30.6.2014 | £55K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Jimmy Phillips | 19 | Rotation | F/T | £750 | 30.6.2015 | £75K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Adam Hett | - | Rotation | F/T | £1,800 | 30.6.2015 | £70K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Thierry Palma | - | Rotation | F/T | £200 | 30.6.2017 | £120K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Mike Tobin | 33 | Rotation | F/T | £575 | 30.6.2015 | £26K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DL | | Beno Jenes | 38 | Rotation | F/T | £1,600 | 30.6.2014 | £65K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Kent Hansen | 36 | Rotation | F/T | £825 | 30.6.2015 | £210K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Constantin Petre | 37 | Rotation | F/T | £250 | 30.6.2015 | £75K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Ret | Kieron Dyer | 35 | Backup | F/T | £600 | 30.6.2014 | £3K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Jon Ashton | 4 | Backup | F/T | £750 | 30.6.2014 | £14K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Ben Gill | 8 | Backup | F/T | £750 | 30.6.2015 | £9K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Kestutis Zutautas | - | Backup | F/T | £200 | 30.6.2015 | £1.2M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Eamonn Bradshaw | - | Backup | F/T | £850 | 30.6.2017 | £375K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Lrn | François Guichard | - | Backup | F/T | £250 | 30.6.2015 | £650K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Lawrence Lambley | 28 | Hot Prospect | F/T | £140 | 30.6.2015 | £10K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Paris Cowan-Hall | 17 | Hot Prospect | F/T | £170 | 30.6.2015 | £30K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | David Greenwood | 23 | Hot Prospect | F/T | £200 | 30.6.2014 | £30K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Paul Miskelly | - | Hot Prospect | F/T | £160 | 30.6.2015 | £18K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Lars Roland | - | Hot Prospect | F/T | £650 | 30.6.2017 | £95K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Jamie McGhee | - | Youngster | F/T | £150 | 30.6.2014 | £10K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Alex Bolt | - | Youngster | F/T | £170 | 30.6.2014 | £22K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Ahti Oja | - | Youngster | F/T | £425 | 30.6.2017 | £9K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | James McCraw | - | Youngster | F/T | £100 | 30.6.2015 | £10K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Craig Gundelach | - | Youngster | Yth | £110 | 30.6.2014 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Andy Clapham | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2014 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Ryan Chamberlain | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2014 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Ian Kay | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2014 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Robert Kean | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2014 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Andy Brooker | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2014 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Callum Reynolds | 22 | Not Needed | F/T | £140 | 30.6.2014 | £12K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Wage Budget: £152,920 Total Weekly Wages at 29/7/13: £34,218 Senior Players: 25 Reserve Players: 22 U-18 Players: 12 [Note that players classed as Backup, Prospect or Youngster will not be profiled (with a few exceptions), and are regarded as reserve players] Player [Pos, Nationality, Height, Age] – Rushden Seasons, Rushden League Games, Rushden League Goals Goalkeepers Alex Bryant [GK, ENG, 175cm, 28] – 7, 122, 0 Currently unhappy with not being given an improved contract, Bryant remains a part of the first team squad as a rotational player, but his role depends on Henderson's form. English Players' League One Select 11/12 Wayne Henderson [GK, IRE – 2 caps, 180cm, 29] – 1, 28, 0 Had a terrible start, conceding four goals in a game twice early on, but settled down to be the first choice keeper. He should do better at this lower level, but unless he really stands out I may have to look for another keeper for the Championship. Defenders Jon Ashton [D RC/DM, ENG, 188cm, 30] – 7, 174, 2 Had a reasonable season in the Championship, though it did finally look as if he was out of his depth. Ashton dominated League One last time we were here, and it would be nice if he could do so again. English Players' League One Select 11/12 Aaron Beech [D C, ENG, 181cm, 23] – 3, 77, 3 A regular in the seniors last season, and a reasonably good performer. This is the last year of his current contract, and another good season will see a renewal if his demands are reasonable. François Guichard [D C, SWI, 185cm, 19] – 0, 0, 0 Still being mentored by Glenn Wilson, Guichard is officially a backup, but will certainly get a run in the seniors. His lack of pace is a concern, but otherwise he looks a good defender. Kent Hansen [D L, DEN – 2U21 caps, 172cm, 20] – 1, 6, 0 Didn't quite come on as well as I'd like in the seniors, but his dominant performances in the reserves were enough to attract the likes of Aston Villa, Deportivo, Bolton and Man City. He has a minimum fee release clause of ₤2.5M, but so far nobody has bid seven figures for him. Hansen's set pieces are exceptional and he looks a really quality player. With Devine gone, he should step up. Beno Jenes [D/WB RL, SLV – 8 caps, 177cm, 24] – 1, 8, 0 Jenes had little impact, considering he'd already had a bit of time to adjust to England through a stint with Blackburn. He's only signed until the end of this season, so will need to seal a spot quickly. Levi Koopman [D C, HOL, 180cm, 22] – 1, 31, 1 Struggled a bit early, but a stint in the reserves saw him return to the seniors and become a valuable regular. Koopman should be dominant at this level. Kelvin Lomax [D RL, ENG, 181cm, 26] – 3, 36, 2 A major disappointment after a decent first two seasons. Devine took over his spot, but now Devine's gone, Lomax has another chance to step up. Hansen will provide plenty of pressure. Aaron Morgan [D C, ENG, 188cm, 23] – 3, 52, 0 Continues to parallel the progress of the other Aaron, playing fewer games but being equally reliable. Like Beech, this is the final year of his current contract. Constantin Petre [D C, ROM, 176cm, 20] – 1, 0, 0 Was signed in January, but spent the remainder of the season in the reserves to allow him to adapt to a new country. Petre has excellent defensive skills and will challenge the established centre backs. Glenn Wilson [D RC, WAL, 186cm, 27] – 7, 173, 4 Amazingly still here from our original squad, and still looking pretty good. His leadership skills will be more valuable in the absence of Bostwick and his high work rate will continue to set the standard for the defence. English Players' League Two Select 10/11; English Players' League One Select 11/12 Midfielders Frankie Artus [AM RC, ENG, 179cm, 24] – 4, 85, 13 Again missed a lot of games due to injury, and wasn't quite as prolific a goalscorer as he had been at lower levels. With McCallum and Anya gone, he may need to play on the right wing rather than in the centre of midfield. Eamonn Bradshaw [AM RC, SCO – Capped at U19 level, 180cm, 18] – 0, 0, 0 A rare purchase, coming over from Bolton for ₤375K, shortly after joining them for ₤40K. He only has a dozen league games to his name, and those were on loan at Dunfermline, but scout Andy McWilliam highly recommended him, and I try to follow his advice. McWilliam is not very quick, but has great ball control and crossing ability. He won't play seniors immediately, but will be one to watch. Barry Callaghan [WB R AM R, SCO, 178cm, 26] – 1, 7, 0 Failed dismally last season, spending most of it in the reserves. Actually, I'm a little disturbed by the recollection that I signed him on McWilliam's advice, considering the above comment... He'll get more of a chance with the two wingers gone, but needs to really show a lot more. Paris Cowan-Hall [AM L, ENG, 180cm, 22] – 7, 39, 6 Dominated the reserves, but was again hit by injuries and couldn't make an impact when given a brief senior run. A move, either a small transfer or release at the end of the season, is likely. Kieron Dyer [AM RC, ENG – 28 caps, 173cm, 34] – 1, 11, 1 Held his own when given a go, but is not likely to get a go this season. He will retire at the end of the season. Ben Gill [DM, ENG, 181cm, 25] – 4, 52, 0 Didn't play a senior game, but developed well enough as a player and performed well enough in the reserves to get a contract extension. He'll need to prove himself worthy of a first team spot. Danny Glover [AM L/ST, ENG, 183cm, 23] – 0, 0, 0 Much like Bradshaw, a brilliant controller of the ball, though lacking pace. Glover could be a good striker or attacking winger. He's played at Championship level with Leicester and should be good here. Anthony Grant [DM C, ENG, 178cm, 26] – 2, 33, 3 A nice, solid midfielder who should have an increased role with Helgerud and Bostwick gone. Emil Hallfreðsson [AM L, ICE – 33 caps, 185cm, 29] – 1, 27, 5 Unhappy at being in League One, in the final year of his contract and moderately disappointing last season, so a move looks likely, one way or another. He's still the best choice for left wing, but will be under pressure from Bradshaw and Roland. Harry Kewell [AM LC, AUS – 49 caps, 181cm, 34] – 1, 30, 5 Sadly enough, one of our best players last season despite being 33 years of age and missing two months with a broken collarbone. He was dominant as an attacking midfielder and playmaker, and we could well have survived if he hadn't missed so many games. This is probably his last year, but he may still have an impact. Supporters' Player of the Year 12/13 Yan Klukowski [M RC, SCO, 186cm, 26] – 3, 69, 15 Like I said at the start of last season, though he may not be as skilful as others at Championship level, his incredible pace can cut through any defence. He was actually out leading goalscorer last season, and though that hopefully won't be the case this year, Klukowski will be a regular in the first team. English League Two Player of the Month, February 2011; English League One Player of the Month, February 2012 Casey Owen [WB R, ENG – 1 U21 Cap, 180cm, 22] – 1, 28, 1 Was forced to play out of position for most of last season, but was still one of our best. I'm trying to retrain him as a right back, but he did his best work on the right wing. With more competition in the midfield than at the back, I may try him in defence more this year. Thierry Palma [AM LC/F C, FRA – 2 U21 Caps, 180cm, 21] – 0, 0, 0 A benefit of having a coach with knowledge of France is that I am able to spot young prospects like Palma. He was at Monaco for three years, but has got his senior experience on loan. He has a lot of development to do, but could be useful. Jimmy Phillips [AM R, ENG, 177cm, 22] – 2, 10, 0 Spent time in the reserves again, but made an impact when he did come up. With two wingers gone, right wing may be a spot for him, but he needs to impress early to hold it. Lars Roland [AM L/ST, DEN, 181cm, 21] – 3, 13, 4 Spent last season on loan at Notts County where he was their leading scorer with 15 goals in 38 League Two games. He's a marvellous goal poacher and set up plays well, but like so many others in our side he lacks pace. Kestutis Zutautas [WB L, LIT – 8 Caps, 180cm, 19] – 0, 0, 0 Like Owen, a specialist in a wing back position, which is a little awkward. He is a superb tackler and brilliant with crosses and long throws, so if he sticks to the boundary, he could be dangerous. Since he's new to England, it may take him time to settle in. Forwards David Greenwood [sT, ENG, 179cm, 21] – 5, 18, 3 Probably our most frustrating player – which is saying a lot with this squad. Greenwood dominates the reserves to a ridiculous extent, scoring two goals a game, but has never really carried that through to the seniors. A season on loan to Notts County may be just what he needs. Graham Hart [sT, IRE – 3 U21 Caps, 183cm, 22] – 2, 49, 20 I said he was going to be a crucial player last season, and given that we were relegated and had a major lack of goals from our strikers, it's clear Hart didn't perform as well as I'd like. He only got eight goals in 25 league games despite playing alone with a strong midfield behind him. Hart wasn't hugely dominant the last time we were in League One, but hopefully the extra time for him to develop will change things. Adam Hett [sT, ENG, 180cm, 24] – 0, 0, 0 Spent all his career at Coventry, even playing a few senior games in the Championship. However, his best form has been on loan, where he's been a regular scorer with Sutton Utd and Airdrie. He's superb from frees – great as a replacement for Stamp – and aggressive at the ball. A rotational player at best. Mike Tobin [sT, AUS – 8 U21 caps, 178cm, 21] – 1, 6, 1 Disappointing last season, spending it with the reserves. He's a noted goalscorer with Ayr and at international junior level, but needs to show it in the seniors here. Lee Tomlin [sT, ENG, 183cm, 23] – 8, 114, 35 Didn't play a single senior game, and may not be suited to the upper levels of England. This could be his final year at the club. Vitalijs Vilerush [sT, LAT – 4 caps, 186cm, 21] – 3, 33, 8 Has not managed to cement a senior spot due to injuries and mixed form. I really expected so much more from Vilerush, but since he's signed up for three more years, I won't abandon him yet. Overview This looks like being a pretty tricky year. The side is unsettled, with a number of regulars going at the end of last season and many new signings. We have lost the momentum of the consecutive promotions and, for the first time in several seasons, have expectations of a top half finish. In theory, this season is just what Rushden needs. Time for players to settle in, time for them to develop, time to build up momentum so that we are ready to take the next step when promotion comes. In reality, it's a bit harder. We are expected to be among the top sides, and though we won the title barely 12 months earlier, this squad has a lot of new faces. I also have to balance between developing younger players and still maintaining an XI strong enough to win the majority of matches. My only specific concern with the squad is goalkeeping. Though both keepers should be reasonable options at this level, there is literally nobody else after them – Legzdins and another backup keeper both left at the end of last season. An injury to either will have me very nervous. While I am worried about how the new and/or unproven players will perform, there are so many of them that I can't pinpoint a specific area of the pitch to worry about. I'll just pick a side and review how they're going in a few months. First XI I strongly considered a 3-5-2 formation with wing backs and attacking wingers, but while I have plenty of options for right wing back and the attacking wings, left wing back is a problem. I've gone with a straight 4-4-2 for now, but I really want to play with attacking wingers, so may fiddle around after a few months. GK: Wayne Henderson RB: Glenn Wilson LB: Kent Hansen CB: Jon Ashton CB: Aaron Morgan RM: Casey Owen LM: Emil Hallfreðsson CM: Frankie Artus CM: Yan Klukowski CF: Danny Glover CF: Graham Hart Sub: Aaron Beech Sub: Harry Kewell Sub: Vitalijs Vilerush Sub: Anthony Grant Sub: Kelvin Lomax Captain: Glenn Wilson Penalties: Beno Jenes, Harry Kewell, Aaron Morgan Free Kicks: (L) Kent Hansen, Danny Glover; ® Casey Owen, Levi Koopman Corners: (L) Kent Hansen, Yan Klukowski; ® Levi Koopman, Yan Klukowski Throw Ins: (L) Kent Hansen, Beno Jenes; ® Glenn Wilson, Frankie Artus Playmakers: Casey Owen, Harry Kewell Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 August, 2013 Eammon Bradshaw and David Greenwood were sent to Notts County for the season. Wrexham, League One, Home For once, we had no injuries to worry about, so the side was the First XI I listed above. This was our first official game at Sixfields Stadium, our home until January. 8,238 people saw Yan Klukowski smack one in from just outside the area in the 30th in what was an otherwise flat first half. The second half only saw a number of wasted chances and though we got the three points, it was far from convincing. Glover was disappointing on début. Sheffield United, League One, Away Barry Callaghan was injured only a few minutes into a rare senior game. We were outplayed in the first half, but with only a few minutes left, Klukowski brought the ball into the area. He was taken out and injured by a defender, but Graham Hart was there to knock the loose ball in. I was fresh out of midfielders though, and had to switch to a diamond formation with Lee Tomlin coming on as an attacking midfielder. The second half was a stinker, with Beech sent off, two goals to Sheffield and a dismal game from Grant. The news was worse after the 1-2 loss, with Callaghan out for a month and Klukowski to miss two. Walsall, League One, Home Jimmy Phillips replaced Callaghan on the right wing as Hart put us ahead in the 22nd thanks to a sloppy defensive header. A Walsall goal was adjudged offside just before half time. Rushden had the better of the second, but again wasted chances and could only win by a solitary goal. Aaron Morgan, replacing Beech, was Man of the Match in front of a record crowd of 8,378. Huddersfield, League One, Away A 5th minute penalty put Huddersfield ahead, and though we had the chance to answer in the same fashion right on half time, Kewell hit the spot kick straight to the keeper. Anthony Grant got the equaliser in the 59th, with Hansen, in his first came of the season, providing the corner. Glover replaced Hart in the 67th, and when Vilerush was forced wide by the defenders, our new signing was there to meet the cross. His first Rushden goal – hopefully the first of many – to give us the win. Alex Bryant was Man of the Match despite conceding the early goal. Leyton Orient, League Cup 1st round, Away Despite four shots in forty seconds at one point, it took until first half injury time for Rushden to score. Again it was a header from Grant, with the corner sent in this time by Koopman. Lee Tomlin got his first of the season just after the break when he and Hart broke on the counter-attack and Hart sealed it with a 35-yard scorcher in the final moments. Vilerush was dropped to the reserves after another flat game. AUSTRALIA vs SAUDI ARABIA, World Cup Qualifiers (Asia), 3rd round Group A, Home With qualification for the World Cup assured, this was just a chance to rack up a few international caps and goals. An opening strike in 20 seconds made sure we topped the table. Australia 3 (Williams 1; Burns 20; Holman 80) d. Saudi Arabia 1 (50) Nottm Forest, League One, Home Constantin Petre made his début when an injury forced Morgan off after only seven minutes. It was a flat game from Rushden and finished 0-0. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 September, 2013 Lincoln, League One, Away Our midfield was a little thin with Hallfreðsson injured in a game for Iceland and Klukowski still out. Danny Glover started on the left wing, but was soon off after a knock. Kewell moved to the left wing in his place. Again we looked out of sorts, and though a good pass from Owen allowed Hart to open the scoring in the second half, Lincoln equalised shortly thereafter. A Man of the Match effort from Constantin Petre, in his first senior start, was enough to get us one point. Scunthorpe, League One, Home Tiredness and international duty forced a few changes for this game. Tobin missed plenty of chances, Kewell and Owen had frees saved, we were denied a penalty in the 69th and the game finished scoreless. MK Dons, League One, Away Our previous meeting with MK Dons saw us hammered 1-5, and the signs weren't good when we were two goals down after 20 minutes. Hart put us back in it with a goal just before half time, and we should have had a penalty when a Dons player handled the ball in the area. However, it wasn't given. Tomlin picked up a knock and, without a striker on the bench, I was forced to bring on Jimmy Phillips. As luck would have it, he was there for a pass across the area from Hart in the 70th, and scored his first goal for Rushden to bring us level. Another draw. Luton, League One, Home It was a poor first half hour, with two goals to Luton and an injuries to Owen and Tobin. Again it was Hart with our first, putting in a Koopman corner in the 53rd. This time, however, Luton scored from a free seconds after their kick-off. Hart was determined to do it himself, and again brought us back within a goal with a brilliant curling shot from 30 yards. He got no support, and we suffered out first league defeat in seven games. Worse, Owen was put out for three months with a hip injury. Manchester City, League Cup 2nd round, Away The first half hour saw some brilliant saves, with Kent Hansen's free barely kept out and a few acrobatic efforts from Henderson. Man City had to score eventually, and in usual Rushden fashion it came from an offside deep into the second half. Chesterfield, League One, Away Hansen gave us a great start, scoring from a free taken just outside the area. Chesterfield got level in the 36th and scored again before half time. Artus made out task more difficult by getting sent off for kicking an opponent, and Chesterfield ended it with a penalty. Just to rub it in, Kewell's penalty for Rushden late in the game was saved. That made it six league games without a win, and it was time to get tough. Tobin, Tomlin, Callaghan, Glover and Jenes were dropped to the reserves. Coming up were Lars Roland, Adam Hett, Paris Cowan-Hall, Thierry Palma and Ben Gill. Hartlepool, League One, Home This would be an interesting test of where we actually were at, with our opponents sitting on top of the table. Hett, Palma and Cowan-Hall all got starts, and in just 13 seconds we were ahead when a cross from Philips was headed in for an own goal. Hart missed a sitter in the 21st, but it came back off the woodwork and into the path of Thierry Palma. The French Under-21 international scored on début, but Hartlepool had their first a few minutes later. Koopman picked up a second yellow soon after the break, leaving us to hold out for 40 minutes with ten men. I replaced Hart with Beech to try and strengthen our defence, but it was only through a Man of the Match effort from Henderson that we scraped away with three points. Northampton, League One, Away A match against a rival was probably the last thing we needed given our mediocre recent form, with in-form defender Koopman suspended. Our early performance belied that form, with Cowan-Hall hitting the bar and both Phillips and Hett forcing saves. We were still scoreless at half time, and had lost Hart to a knock, suggesting that all our dominance could have been for nothing. However, Lars Roland, Hart's replacement, came from the midfield to the area, and despite being forced wide by a defender, he squeezed the shot into the goal from a tight angle. A direct free from Hett It's only a few months in, but we're clearly in trouble. A few major players, like Glover, Tobin and Tomlin, are already sitting in the reserves, and a few others are lucky not to be there. Koopman, Hart and Grant have been the only players to pull their weight so far. I've already made a few changes to the senior team, and will try a new formation next month, with a diamond midfield. It will be even harder without Wayne Henderson, who strained a thigh muscle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 October, 2013 Sheffield Wednesday, League One, Away The new formation got a run, and in 19 minutes we were ahead through a fine Hart strike from outside the area. Hett got close from a Koopman corner, then in the 42nd Hart flicked on a Hansen free for his second. AUSTRALIA vs AGENTINA, Friendly, Home Australia 3 (Burns 37, 69, 77) lost to Argentina 4 (17, 25, 44, 82) Wolves, League One, Away An even first half would have finished scoreless if not for a harsh penalty to Wolves in the 40th., and that was the difference in the end. Bournemouth, Johnstone's Paint Trophy South, round 1, Away Yan Klukowski and Emil Hallfreðsson both returned from injury against our League Two opponents. Hansen collected a clearance from a corner and slammed it in from 30 yards for a 5th minute lead. Klukowski was denied a goal on his return by a free kick, and despite our dominance, Bournemouth scored out of nothing in the 81st. Grant put us back ahead in the 85th to ensure we progressed. Boston Utd, League One, Away Despite taking on a struggling side, we were a goal down by half time and looking flat. Thierry Palma took it upon himself to turn things around, scoring in the 48th then setting up Artus for our second in the 53rd. Blackpool, League One, Home Rushden should have been ahead at half time, but Palma missed a couple of straightforward shots. Artus skimmed the bar when set up by Hansen, substitutes Kewell and Hett were as inaccurate as their team-mates and we finished with a 0-0 draw. Wolves, Johnstone's Paint Trophy second round, Away Wolves scored twice in the first half and again we missed everything. Hett had a goal disallowed, but it made no difference to the final result. Another early cup exit. We're looking a bit more stable now that Klukowski and Hallfreðsson are back, and Koopman and Morgan are the stand outs in defence. I'm still having a lot of trouble finding a partner for Hart up forward, though our reserves are crushing all opposition as usual. | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Wolves | | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 26 | 19 | +7 | 33 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Chesterfield | | 16 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 24 | 14 | +10 | 32 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Luton | | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 17 | +5 | 29 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Rushden | | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 19 | 16 | +3 | 26 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Lincoln | | 16 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 14 | +6 | 25 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Millwall | | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 20 | 15 | +5 | 24 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Blackpool | | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 18 | 15 | +3 | 24 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Swansea | | 16 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 18 | -1 | 24 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Mansfield | | 16 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 29 | 23 | +6 | 23 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Tranmere | | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 23 | 19 | +4 | 23 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | MK Dons | | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 19 | 15 | +4 | 23 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Hartlepool | | 16 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 23 | 22 | +1 | 22 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Northampton | | 16 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 24 | 25 | -1 | 22 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Sheff Utd | | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 27 | 28 | -1 | 21 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Crewe | | 16 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 19 | 21 | -2 | 21 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Nottm Forest | | 16 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 20 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Walsall | | 16 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 20 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Wrexham | | 16 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 19 | -4 | 20 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Scunthorpe | | 16 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 17 | 15 | +2 | 19 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Gillingham | | 16 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 19 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Sheff Wed | | 16 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 26 | -10 | 13 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Huddersfield | | 16 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 15 | 25 | -10 | 13 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Boston Utd | | 16 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 29 | -15 | 11 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | | Hereford | | 16 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 24 | -12 | 10 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 November, 2013 Gillingham, League One, Home Again we were quickly two goals down, this time after only twenty minutes. Rushden were clearly the better side but yet again we wasted chances, with Phillips and Hett the main offenders. To make matters worse, leading scorer Hart extended his drought to nine hours. Yeovil, FA Cup round 1, Home With our opponents struggling in League Two, I rested most senior players for this game. Lars Roland took advantage, scoring after being sent through by a pass from Thierry Palma. Hart finally ended his drought in the second half, which proved valuable when Yeovil scored twice in three minutes late in the game. A draw, forcing a replay. AUSTRALIA vs CAMEROON, Friendly, Away Australia 0 lost to Cameroon 1 (45 – pen) Tranmere, League One, Away Wayne Henderson returned from injury and conceded a goal within 20 minutes. Vilerush, back after setting up four goals in the last reserves game, had one shot saved before we conceded a second just after the break. Vilerush dispossessed a defender and scored in the 54th , but a third to Tranmere a few minutes later ended the game. Yeovil, FA Cup round 1 replay,, Away We had half a dozen good chances to score in the first half hour, but Klukowski, Hallfreðsson and Roland missed them all. Vilerush finally put us ahead in the 34th, only to see Yeovil equalise a few minutes later. They got another in the 53rd, and suddenly we were behind after controlling the game. Klukowski missed a total of six shots, the other players fared no better, and once again we were knocked out of a cup competition early. Mansfield, League One, Home With our recent form, it was a relief to see Hart hit the back of the net in the tenth minute – and no surprise it was ruled out. Mansfield scored early in the second half, and we failed to answer. To call that a disastrous month would be an understatement. We lost all three league games and were knocked out of the FA Cup by a League Two side. Glover has been awful, Kewell is fading, the strikers aren't getting anything on target and Henderson conceded plenty when he returned. We've sunk to mid-table, and could easily fall furhter. Things aren't great off the pitch either. Hallfreðsson, Owen, Callaghan and Jenes are all on the transfer list at their own request. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 December, 2013 Swansea, League One, Away A harsh penalty call put us a goal down after ten minutes, but thankfully midfielder Alex Bolt, in his first game of the season, scored a ripping strike from outside the area in the 24th. We came out hard in the second half, but Bolt, Hart, Callaghan and Glover all missed chances. At least we got one point, but we should really have come away with three. Swansea, League One, Home Recognising the low morale of the senior side after five games without a win, I brought Bryant, Tomlin and débutante François Guichard into the team. It made no difference, with Crewe scoring twice and no goals for Rushden. Barry Callaghan was put out for pretty much the rest of the season with a torn calf muscle. Anthony Grant led a team meeting after our sixth straight game without a win. Hereford, League One, Away Tomlin beat a defender to a loose clearance to score after just three minutes, and a great run and spin from Jimmy Phillips saw the winger make it 2-0 in the 24th. Bryant pulled off a number of saves and Tomlin hit the woodwork at the other end. Hereford meant business after the break, and scored in just two minutes. They got another in the 70th to level the scores, and came forward again in the 90th. This time, however, Guichard got the ball clear, and Klukowski took it forward. He made it into the area, and fired off a shot which was parried. There to gather it was Tomlin, and the striker put through his second. A much-needed win for Rushden, but we need to capitalise on it. Guichard attracted bids from Aston Villa and Liverpool just two games after his début, but since they were only ₤625K, I rejected them. Millwall, League One, Home Rushden had barely a shot all game and despite a Man of the Match effort from Bryant, fell 0-1. Wrexham, League One, Away A centring pass from Jenes and a flick-on from Klukowski into the area saw Hart give us a first half lead. We were busy in the second half, but our second goal actually came from a bit of luck – Wilson's long clearance found Hart past the defence and left with a simple finish. The 2-0 win came at a cost, with Palma put out for three months with a broken ankle. Sheffield Utd, League One, Home Lee Tomlin opened the scoring when a Hart shot was deflected straight to him in the fifth minute. Sheffield United had an instant response ruled out by the referee and Bryant did a fine job to keep us level by the end of the half. He finally conceded with half an hour to go and despite a few chances for Vilerush and Klukowski, we had to settle for a point. It's been a tough return to League One. I had fairly high hopes that we would go straight back up to the Championship, but that looks out of reach now. We have been hit by a few injuries, and still have Palma and Callaghan out for pretty much the remainder of the season, but that is no excuse. Many players simply have not performed, and a hell of a lot of others are unhappy. I'm resigned to losing Henderson, Hallfreðsson, Kewell and Jenes at the end of the season, and will be thinking hard before re-signing even a few senior regulars due to their high wage demands. There will be a few additions to the squad next month, but don't expect me to start throwing money around. Even with ₤16M in the bank, I hate spending money, whether it be on transfers or wages, and I think there's enough talent in the squad as it is for us to move up to at least 8th. That will be my goal. | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Luton | | 25 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 35 | 26 | +9 | 44 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Tranmere | | 25 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 38 | 23 | +15 | 43 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Wolves | | 25 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 37 | 30 | +7 | 43 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Chesterfield | | 25 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 32 | 24 | +8 | 42 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Millwall | | 25 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 30 | 19 | +11 | 41 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Mansfield | | 25 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 41 | 33 | +8 | 40 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Northampton | | 25 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 34 | 33 | +1 | 38 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Swansea | | 25 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 29 | 26 | +3 | 37 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | MK Dons | | 25 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 32 | 25 | +7 | 36 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Lincoln | | 25 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 27 | 23 | +4 | 36 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Nottm Forest | | 25 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 28 | 25 | +3 | 36 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Blackpool | | 25 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 25 | 23 | +2 | 34 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Rushden | | 25 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 27 | 29 | -2 | 34 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Crewe | | 25 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 32 | 36 | -4 | 34 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Walsall | | 25 | 10 | 3 | 12 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 33 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Hartlepool | | 25 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 34 | 36 | -2 | 33 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Scunthorpe | | 25 | 7 | 11 | 7 | 27 | 24 | +3 | 32 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Sheff Utd | | 25 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 42 | 41 | +1 | 32 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Gillingham | | 25 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 36 | 36 | 0 | 32 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Wrexham | | 25 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 19 | 28 | -9 | 28 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Huddersfield | | 25 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 32 | 38 | -6 | 27 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Hereford | | 25 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 20 | 41 | -21 | 19 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Boston Utd | | 25 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 43 | -22 | 19 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | | Sheff Wed | | 25 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 21 | 37 | -16 | 18 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 Special feature – Australian squad overview My reports on international games have been pretty terse, since this is, after all, a story focused on Rushden. However, with the World Cup coming up, I thought I'd provide a bit of an overview of some of our main players. This is not intended to be a comprehensive look at the full squad, but just to give a bit more meaning to the names that pop up. Player (Club) Pos, Age, Height, Caps/Goals, value David Williams (Sampdoria) F C, 25, 177cm, 20/11, ₤7.75M The golden boy of Australian football now that Viduka, Kewell, Schwarzer, Emerton, Bresciano and co are long gone from the national side. He was a big scorer at Brøndby before moving to Sampdoria. He's super fast and a powerful shooter. Injury prone, so I hope he is right for the big games. Nathan Burns (Deportivo) AM/F C, 25, 175cm, 25/16, ₤4.8M More a playmaking midfielder than outright attacker. He is not in Deportivo's first team, but tears opposition sides apart for their B team. Tando Velaphi (Bochum) GK, 26, 185cm, 19/0, ₤2.2M One of the top keepers in Germany after his move from Central Coast. Faces plenty of competition, but has been my regular first choice. Joshua Kennedy (Rimini) ST, 29, 194cm, 23/8, ₤2.1M An imposing figure who is an obvious target for high passes. Kennedy is pretty mobile for his size, and is an ideal partner for the pacey Williams. Franck Moussa (St. Mirren) AM RC, 26, 177cm, 6/0, ₤1.6M I actually competed with St. Mirren for Moussa when he moved on a free transfer from Perth Glory, but wasn't willing to fork out for his wages. He has great ball control and is dangerous from long range. Matt Murphy (Reading) GK, 20, 188cm, 1/0, ₤1.9M The rising star of Australian football, he is one of the top keepers in the Premier Division, recently made his début against Cameroon and is a big challenger to Velaphi for the goalkeeping spot. Rocky Visconte (Cadiz) AM LC, 23, 179cm, 11/1, ₤1.1M A goalscoring midfielder who would be a good partner for a playmaker like Burns. His lack of senior games is a concern. Chris Tadrosse (Gladbach) AM L, 28, 175cm, 4/0, ₤1.6M Only recently broke into the international side, but is a hugely versatile player who can play on either side of the pitch from defence to attacking midfield. He's getting regular games at RKC, where he's been on loan for two years. Tim Cahill (Everton) AM C, 34, 178cm, 67/21, ₤525K Probably nearing the end of his international career, but still absolute class. He's dominating the Championship with Everton and will be a vital part of our midfield. His skill in the air could also be valuable at corners. Luke Wilkshire (West Brom) D/WB RL, 32, 176cm, 63/4, ₤110K One of very few players who can play at full back, Wilkshire is great at setting up attacks with his sharp passing. Adrian Leijer (Karlsruhe) D LC, 27, 186cm, 6/0, ₤825K Defence is our biggest weakness, and we have very few options. Leijer is a solid player, but by no means a star. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 January, 2014 With both Bryant and Henderson likely to go at the end of the season, I snapped up 19-year-old Australian John Porter as a long-term backup and a new first team goalkeeper. Scott Gallacher [GK, SCO, 180cm, 24] – 0, 0, 0 Signed from Sunderland on a free transfer, Gallacher is a fairly unremarkable-looking keeper, but had a tremendous record in the Scottish Premier League with Dunfermline Athletic, and played a few good games for Sunderland in the English Premier Division as well. He will probably be the first choice, but the other two will rotate through. With the likes of Lomax and Wilson having expiring contracts, I also picked up a right back. John Middleton [D/WB R, SCO – Capped at U19 level, 183cm, 20] – 0, 0, 0 A pacey attacking wing back, who joins for a ₤12K fee from Plymouth. He has little senior experience and will start in the reserves, but may come up in the event of injuries. Reserve defender Paul Miskelly was sent to Notts County. I had a look at a lot of players available for free, and though there were a few big-name forwards around, like Mikael Forsell, Darius Vassell, Nick Chadwick, Svetoslav Todorov, and Lua Lua, but decided against signing a player in their twilight years. Kewell is the only player who's really repaid my faith in those circumstance. Sheffield Utd, League One, Away With Middleton injured, Henderson was in goal for this game. He let through a goal in the 8th and we failed to respond. Huddersfield, League One, Away A dominant performance from Rushden, but it took until the 65th for Owen to finally put us ahead with a free. Klukowski set up Hart for a late second. I bought another player after the game. Anne Esser [AM LC, HOL, 183cm, 19] – 0, 0, 0 Signed by Portsmouth from a Dutch side at the start of the season, but hasn't played a senior game in his career. He lacks a bit of pace but looks good with the ball at his feet. Maybe a rotational player to take the place of Kewell. Nottingham Forest, League One, Away We wasted a chance to leapfrog the side directly above us on the table, letting through a goal after seven minutes and failing to score one of our own. Lincoln, League One, Home Scott Gallacher made his début and after a few early saves, was given a one-goal buffer by Vilerush on the counter-attack. Hansen made that two with a direct free from 30 yards. Lincoln scored just 90 seconds into the second half, but a goalmouth scramble saw Klukowski score after Vilerush and Hart were denied by the keeper. A 3-1 win in our final game at Sixfields. Scunthorpe, League One, Away After having two shots saved, it was third time lucky for Hart, with a goal in the 25th.. Vilerush added a second, which was valuable given that Scunthorpe scored in the 63rd. Another six minutes later made it 2-2, and then they added a third! No points for a Rushden side which was two goals up, and disturbing signs from our new keeper, letting through three goals in ten minutes. Fed up, I made another signing. Andrew Makhanya [D C, SAF – 15 caps, 184cm, 20] – 0, 0, 0 Makhanya is actually a player I've been chasing for a while. He's been on a rolling contract with Orlando Pirates for several years, and I've constantly been trying to sign him, only to have his work permit denied time and again. [incidentally, I should note that I generally don't report failed signing attempts, as I often try to get Australian and other non-EU players due to my knowledge of those regions, and never seem to get work permits.] However, he's finally reached enough international games to get it. The only problem is that his wages have gone up over the years, and instead of costing me ₤325 per week as he did originally, he comes at a hefty ₤7.25K, plus the ₤325K signing fee. Trust me, though, unless things go horribly wrong, he will be worth it. He's a brilliant defender in the air and on the ground, a tight marker and brutal tackler. He's also incredible from frees and reads the play brilliantly. He's signed until 2017, and should be a dominant figure over the next three years. The other good news is that Kent Hansen was named Young Player of the Month. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 February, 2014 Luton, League One, Away Makhanya's début was delayed by international duty. Henderson came back in after Gallacher's poor effort in the last game and kept a clean sheet in a scoreless draw. Chesterfield, League One, Home The signs were good for this game, with super signing Makhanya appearing for the first time, Hallfreðsson returning from injury and Rushden back at Nene Park for the first time this season. Vilerush had the chance to give us a perfect start, but missed a shot 18 seconds in. Hart had a header saved and Vilerush and Grant were also denied. I was becoming frustrated when another Hart shot was turned away in the 42nd. Koopman took the corner and hooked it into the area. Rising to meet the ball was Andrew Makhanya, who beat two defenders to head it home. Despite sixteen shots, we had just the one goal, but surely with the game two minutes into second half injury time we had the three points? You know the rest – offside not noticed, goal, no time for kick-off, draw. MK Dons, League One, Home Vilerush was on target for once, hitting in a poor punch from the keeper ten minutes in. Dons hit back in the 27th and we lost Hart to injury. Nonetheless, a short free kick from Owen went to Grant in the area, and our captain put it home just before half time. Vilerush joined Hart on the sideline, meaning Anne Esser had to come on for his début, with Hallfreðsson moving to partner Tomlin as a striker. Dons scored a few minutes later and again over 12,000 people at Nene Park witnessed a draw. Hart was put out for a month with broken ribs. Hartlepool, League One, Away This time we went behind early and spent the rest of the game struggling to get back. It took until the 79th minute for a Hallfreðsson shot to be parried straight to Tomlin for an equaliser, but with Phillips missing a sitter after a fine counter-attack set up by Makhanya and Klukowski, we had yet another draw. Makhanya was named Man of the Match. Northampton, League One, Home Henderson was in goal yet again, with Gallacher out injured. I'm starting to have doubts about having him as my number one next season if he's so injury prone. Makhanya was also out for this game, but just with a cold. Tomlin scored early here in a flat first half and even as the game got closer and closer to full time, I was expecting a goal to Northampton. It happened in the 82nd, but thankfully luck was on our side, and it was ruled out. Lars Roland sealed it by flicking a pass from Klukowski into the net from 25 yards – his first goal after a drought of more than 16 hours. Not only did we record a long overdue win, it was in front of a record crowd of 12,654. It's just a shame we're out of the cup competitions, or we could really cash in on the increased capacity. Makhanya was named Young Player of the Month, despite playing just three games. | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Wolves | | 35 | 18 | 9 | 8 | 50 | 40 | +10 | 63 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Tranmere | | 35 | 18 | 8 | 9 | 55 | 33 | +22 | 62 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Lincoln | | 35 | 15 | 13 | 7 | 49 | 30 | +19 | 58 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | MK Dons | | 35 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 49 | 32 | +17 | 58 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Northampton | | 35 | 16 | 9 | 10 | 54 | 47 | +7 | 57 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Luton | | 35 | 16 | 9 | 10 | 41 | 35 | +6 | 57 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Millwall | | 35 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 41 | 33 | +8 | 55 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Swansea | | 35 | 16 | 7 | 12 | 41 | 36 | +5 | 55 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Mansfield | | 35 | 16 | 6 | 13 | 51 | 41 | +10 | 54 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Chesterfield | | 35 | 15 | 8 | 12 | 46 | 34 | +12 | 53 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Sheff Utd | | 35 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 57 | 55 | +2 | 50 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Walsall | | 35 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 31 | 28 | +3 | 49 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Crewe | | 35 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 43 | 51 | -8 | 48 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Rushden | | 35 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 40 | 39 | +1 | 47 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Nottm Forest | | 35 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 33 | 32 | +1 | 47 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Blackpool | | 35 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 37 | 36 | +1 | 46 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Gillingham | | 35 | 12 | 8 | 15 | 46 | 48 | -2 | 44 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Hartlepool | | 35 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 46 | 54 | -8 | 40 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Wrexham | | 35 | 10 | 9 | 16 | 27 | 40 | -13 | 39 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Scunthorpe | | 35 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 34 | 42 | -8 | 37 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Huddersfield | | 35 | 9 | 7 | 19 | 41 | 58 | -17 | 34 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Boston Utd | | 35 | 7 | 11 | 17 | 33 | 53 | -20 | 32 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Hereford | | 35 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 32 | 57 | -25 | 31 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | | Sheff Wed | | 35 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 33 | 56 | -23 | 27 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 March, 2014 Sheffield Utd, League One, Away Vilerush returned to the side and headed in a perfect pass from Hansen for a 13th minute lead. It only lasted seven minutes and despite domination from Vilerush and Roland, we went into the break level. After numerous wasted chances, Vilerush added a second in the 63rd and despite losing Hallfreðsson and Koopman to injury, we pulled off our second straight win. Both injured players will miss a month. In-form reserve striker Adam Hett was also put out with a groin strain. The big loss is Hallfreðsson, as we don't have a lot of cover for the left wing. Koopman has been one of our best players, but Grant can stay at defensive midfield and we have stacks of options at centre back. Wolves, League One, Home The most notable of those options was Andrew Makhanya, and he returned along with goalkeeper Scott Gallacher. A new record crowd of 13,339 were bored by an utterly uneventful game. With nine matches left, I want to at least make it to the media prediction of 10th, but we're going to struggle. Gillingham, League One, Away Gallacher pulled off a fine early save and then did brilliantly to keep out a dubious penalty in the 38th. Unfortunately, they finally scored in the 51st. Despite a few late chances, we were kept from scoring. Makhanya was Man of the Match. Blackpool, League One, Away Klukowski had a number of first half shots denied by the keeper, Blackpool scored out of nothing in the 74th and our season went from bad to worse. Another Man of the Match award for Makhanya, but I'd prefer the points. Tranmere, League One, Home Henderson replaced Gallacher in goal and saw Lars Roland put us ahead in the 19th. Henderson managed a great late save, Grant popped in his fifth of the season when a defensive header fell straight at his feet in the area and we jumped straight up to 13th on the table despite a late goal to Tranmere. We're still in with a shot of meeting the predictions of 10th place, though the 8th spot I wanted seems out of reach. Hansen was again Young Player of the Month. All of my contract offers were rejected. I can live with the loss of Morgan and Beech, as Guichard and Makhanya look to be the centre backs for the future, but losing Grant, Hallfreðsson, Tomlin, Bryant, Henderson and the like will hurt. Worse yet, assistant Jack Reilly also refuses to re-sign. | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Tranmere | | 40 | 21 | 9 | 10 | 61 | 36 | +25 | 72 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Wolves | | 40 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 57 | 44 | +13 | 71 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Luton | | 40 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 48 | 38 | +10 | 69 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Northampton | | 40 | 19 | 9 | 12 | 61 | 50 | +11 | 66 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Lincoln | | 40 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 53 | 34 | +19 | 64 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | MK Dons | | 40 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 52 | 39 | +13 | 63 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Swansea | | 40 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 46 | 39 | +7 | 62 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Millwall | | 40 | 17 | 10 | 13 | 45 | 38 | +7 | 61 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Mansfield | | 40 | 17 | 8 | 15 | 53 | 45 | +8 | 59 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Chesterfield | | 40 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 53 | 40 | +13 | 58 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Walsall | | 40 | 16 | 9 | 15 | 38 | 33 | +5 | 57 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Sheff Utd | | 40 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 66 | 66 | 0 | 56 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Blackpool | | 40 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 43 | 40 | +3 | 54 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Rushden | | 40 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 44 | 43 | +1 | 54 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Crewe | | 40 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 45 | 53 | -8 | 54 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Nottm Forest | | 40 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 39 | 41 | -2 | 53 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Gillingham | | 40 | 14 | 9 | 17 | 51 | 54 | -3 | 51 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Wrexham | | 40 | 13 | 11 | 16 | 32 | 42 | -10 | 50 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Hartlepool | | 40 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 51 | 59 | -8 | 47 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Huddersfield | | 40 | 11 | 8 | 21 | 45 | 63 | -18 | 41 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Scunthorpe | | 40 | 8 | 14 | 18 | 37 | 50 | -13 | 38 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Boston Utd | | 40 | 8 | 13 | 19 | 39 | 60 | -21 | 37 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Hereford | | 40 | 7 | 14 | 19 | 35 | 64 | -29 | 35 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | | Sheff Wed | | 40 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 40 | 63 | -23 | 32 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 April, 2014 Boston Utd, League One, Home A powerful Vilerush strike gave us a lead which lasted just two minutes. With Klukowski, Vilerush and Roland missing second half shots, we wasted the chance to pick up easy points against a relegation-threatened opponent. Mansfield, League One, Away Phillips set up a couple of chances which were wasted. Vilerush finally scored from point-blank range after a Cowan-Hall cross, then two minutes later Cowan-Hall himself intercepted a defensive pass and scored. Vilerush sealed the game in the dying minutes with his second. Swansea, League One, Home An exciting first half finished scoreless, with Henderson saving a few and Roland and Vilerush being denied at the other end. The second half was much quieter, and we picked up a point. Makhanya got his fourth Man of the Match award in ten games. Crewe, League One, Away Lars Roland was on target for once, beating the defence to Grant's long clearance and flicking the ball past the keeper in the 5th. Lomax hit the crossbar with a free before Vilerush scored our second when Roland's shot was parried to him. Crewe got one goal back in the 53rd, but then had a player sent off. Frankie Artus completed the win with our third goal. I re-signed Wilson, Morgan and Henderson after the game. Hereford, League One, Home Lars Roland again scored the first goal, closing on the area after a fine run and putting it past the keeper in the 35th. Cowan-Hall added a second and then crossed to Roland for Rushden's third. Lomax crossed to Vilerush to make it 4-0 and a fifth was denied only by the referee. It was against the bottom-placed side, but I'm not going to argue with three points. Millwall, League One, Away Our opponents had won their last six games, but our form wasn't too bad either. It was appropriately an even game, and we went 90 minutes without a goal. In keeping with our luck this season, they scored in the final moments to make it a 0-1 loss. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 The season in review Summary | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | C | Luton | | 46 | 25 | 9 | 12 | 61 | 42 | +19 | 84 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | P | Tranmere | | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 65 | 42 | +23 | 80 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | P | Wolves | | 46 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 62 | 49 | +13 | 79 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Millwall | | 46 | 22 | 11 | 13 | 59 | 42 | +17 | 77 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | MK Dons | | 46 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 61 | 41 | +20 | 76 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Lincoln | | 46 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 59 | 41 | +18 | 72 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Northampton | | 46 | 21 | 9 | 16 | 68 | 56 | +12 | 72 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Chesterfield | | 46 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 56 | 41 | +15 | 69 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Swansea | | 46 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 50 | 46 | +4 | 67 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Rushden | | 46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 56 | 46 | +10 | 66 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Walsall | | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 43 | 36 | +7 | 66 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Crewe | | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 54 | 59 | -5 | 66 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Sheff Utd | | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 74 | 72 | +2 | 65 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Mansfield | | 46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 56 | 53 | +3 | 64 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Blackpool | | 46 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 48 | 50 | -2 | 64 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Nottm Forest | | 46 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 48 | 47 | +1 | 63 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Wrexham | | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 36 | 51 | -15 | 56 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Hartlepool | | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 57 | 67 | -10 | 54 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Gillingham | | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 54 | 64 | -10 | 54 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Huddersfield | | 46 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 50 | 67 | -17 | 49 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | R | Boston Utd | | 46 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 49 | 65 | -16 | 48 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | R | Scunthorpe | | 46 | 8 | 16 | 22 | 41 | 58 | -17 | 40 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | R | Sheff Wed | | 46 | 8 | 14 | 24 | 44 | 75 | -31 | 38 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | R | Hereford | | 46 | 7 | 14 | 25 | 39 | 80 | -41 | 35 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Pkd | Inf | Name | Apps | Gls | Ast | MoM | Pas | Tck | Drb | Sh T | Av Rat| | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S3 | Unh | Levi Koopman | 39 | - | 3 | 4 | 70% | 3.28 | 0.24 | 37% | 7.28 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DMC | Wnt | Anthony Grant | 38 (2)| 5 | 2 | 1 | 73% | 2.96 | 0.49 | 40% | 7.15 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Graham Hart | 34 (2)| 14 | 3 | 2 | 74% | 0.38 | 1.87 | 50% | 6.78 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | | Aaron Morgan | 34 (1)| - | 1 | 3 | 70% | 3.43 | 0.09 | - | 7.23 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MC | Slt | Yan Klukowski | 32 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 69% | 2.79 | 1.51 | 24% | 7.41 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Bid | Kent Hansen | 31 (1)| 3 | 5 | 1 | 72% | 3.50 | 0.32 | 40% | 7.09 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DR | Unh | Glenn Wilson | 28 (2)| - | 2 | - | 68% | 3.32 | 0.46 | - | 7.00 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | GK | Wnt | Wayne Henderson | 28 | - | - | 3 | 58% | - | - | - | 6.93 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MR | Slt | Casey Owen | 25 (2)| 1 | 2 | - | 65% | 3.06 | 1.15 | 34% | 7.11 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | Wnt | Lars Roland | 24 (5)| 7 | 3 | - | 70% | 0.70 | 2.65 | 37% | 7.00 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | Unh | Vitalijs Vilerush | 22 (4)| 13 | 2 | 1 | 70% | 0.18 | 1.18 | 46% | 6.92 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S2 | Unh | Jimmy Phillips | 22 (2)| 2 | 1 | - | 62% | 1.99 | 2.37 | 44% | 7.08 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | ML | Wnt | Paris Cowan-Hall | 20 | 2 | 3 | - | 70% | 1.62 | 2.23 | 18% | 7.00 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Alex Bryant | 19 | - | - | 2 | 48% | - | - | - | 6.68 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Emil Hallfreðsson | 18 | - | 4 | - | 71% | 1.89 | 2.43 | 25% | 6.83 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S1 | Unh | Frankie Artus | 17 (4)| 2 | 1 | - | 65% | 1.68 | 1.40 | 41% | 6.95 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S4 | Unh | Lee Tomlin | 16 (3)| 6 | - | - | 67% | 0.56 | 1.37 | 44% | 6.89 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DL | Unh | Kelvin Lomax | 16 | - | 2 | - | 70% | 4.39 | 0.33 | - | 7.06 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Beno Jenes | 15 (3)| - | - | - | 72% | 3.18 | 0.32 | - | 6.78 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | Wnt | Andrew Makhanya | 13 | 1 | - | 4 | 68% | 4.46 | 0.23 | - | 7.54 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Bid | Aaron Beech | 12 (1)| - | - | - | 63% | 3.41 | - | - | 6.85 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Thierry Palma | 11 (2)| 2 | 2 | - | 71% | 0.99 | 1.26 | 27% | 6.85 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Ret | Harry Kewell | 9 (4) | - | - | - | 79% | 1.24 | 0.72 | - | 6.54 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S5 | Bid | François Guichard | 9 (1) | - | - | - | 70% | 3.45 | - | - | 7.10 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Constantin Petre | 8 (2) | - | - | 1 | 66% | 5.23 | 0.24 | - | 6.60 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Req | Adam Hett | 7 (2) | 1 | 1 | - | 75% | 0.27 | 1.37 | 44% | 6.78 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Barry Callaghan | 7 (1) | - | 1 | - | 72% | 1.76 | 1.76 | - | 6.63 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Req | Danny Glover | 5 (8) | 1 | 1 | - | 71% | 0.96 | 1.77 | - | 6.38 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Scott Gallacher | 5 | - | - | - | 52% | - | - | - | 6.60 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Mike Tobin | 4 | - | - | - | 71% | 0.29 | 0.57 | 25% | 6.50 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Alex Bolt | 2 (1) | 1 | - | - | 73% | 2.71 | 0.45 | 60% | 7.00 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Jon Ashton | 2 | - | - | - | 69% | 4.00 | - | - | 7.00 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Anne Esser | 0 (3) | - | - | - | - | 2.20 | 3.29 | - | 6.67 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Though we did eventually meet the predictions of a 10th place finish, I honestly expected much more. After all, we won the title only two seasons earlier, and in theory had a better squad. However, I suppose momentum is a powerful thing, and instead of entering the season after back-to-back promotions, we'd just been relegated. There were some good signs among the playing group. Koopman was a fine player and was the only Rushden representative in the League One Select. Makhanya looks a potential superstar, Klukowski was superb in the middle once again and Grant was tremendous as a defensive midfielder. However, you don't have to look far to find our problems. Despite three first-team quality keepers, we conceded a heap of goals, often at crucial stages. Last year's Supporters' Player of the Season, Harry Kewell, quickly fell out of the team, and fellow midfielders Emil Hallfreðsson and Barry Callaghan were also disappointing. Our biggest problem was up forward. Hart missed a few games through injury and though he was our leading scorer, he also endured long droughts. Vilerush, Roland, Tobin, Glover, Hett and Tomlin all spent extended periods in the reserves and did little to convince me things will improve next season. Roland did have a good scoring run towards the end of the season, but we need plenty more if our goalkeepers are going to be so unreliable. The reserves won the league for the third straight time. Even with goal machine Greenwood out on loan, they finished with 135 goals and a goal difference of 112. It wasn't just the dropped senior players dominating either, with James McCraw and Callum Reynolds among the top performers. Around the world: major awards and results Rushden Supporters’ Player of the Year: Yan Klukowski World Player of the Year: Mario Gomez (FC Bayern) World Footballer of the year: Marco Ruben (FC Bayern) England: Winner: Arsenal (5 straight!) Relegated: Cardiff, Birmingham, Middlesbrough Promoted: Everton, Reading, Crystal Palace Spain: Real Madrid Italy Inter Champions Cup: Lazio EURO Cup: Sevilla Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 The Transfers Players In | Date | Person | From | Fee | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2013 | Miskelly, Paul | Coleraine | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2013 | Bradshaw, Eamonn | Bolton | £375K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2013 | Zutautas, Kestutis | FBK Kaunas | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2013 | Hett, Adam | Coventry | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2013 | Palma, Thierry | Monaco | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2013 | Glover, Danny | Scunthorpe | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.1.2014 | Gallacher, Scott | Sunderland | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.1.2014 | Middleton, John | Plymouth | £12K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4.1.2014 | Porter, John | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10.1.2014 | Esser, Anne | Portsmouth | £4K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 28.1.2014 | Makhanya, Andrew | Orlando Pirates | £325K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | Total | | £725K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Players Out | Date | Person | To | Fee | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2013 | King, Kevin | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2013 | McDonald, Leigh | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2013 | Wilkinson, David | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2013 | Green, Tim | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2013 | Shore, Danny | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2013 | Legzdins, Adam | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2013 | Lunt, Michael | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2.7.2013 | Jameson, Matt | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2.7.2013 | Irving, Dave | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9.7.2013 | Helgerud, Vidar | Inter | £5M | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13.7.2013 | Devine, Stewart | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 28.7.2013 | Bostwick, Michael | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 28.7.2013 | Stamp, Dean | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 28.7.2013 | Anya, Ikechi | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 28.7.2013 | McCallum, Gavin | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17.2.2014 | McGhee, Jamie | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | Total | | £5M | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Promoted Youth | Date | Person | To | Fee | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2013 | Denton, Garry | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2013 | Downing, Gary | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2013 | Bath, Mark | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2013 | Wallace, Darren | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2013 | Sheppard, Steve | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2013 | Austin, Chris | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | Total | | £0 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Quite a mixed bag here. Several of the players signed are long-term prospects, so it's hard to judge their success yet. All showed signs of promise, but it's too early to tell. The big concern was the players who were supposed to go straight in. Gallacher was riddled with injuries and Hett and Glover spent most of the season in the reserves. I had no cause to regret any of the releases, and the ₤5M gained for Helgerud was reasonable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 World Cup 2014 To give you an idea of the depth of Australian football, I started my squad selection by clearing the squad, then picking the 23 players based purely on value. Given that I wound up with six keepers and two defenders, you can probably see the problem... My first task was to sort through those keepers. Velaphi and Murphy were the obvious ones, which left me with Michael Turnbull (33, Santos Laguna, 5 caps), Nathan Coe (29, FC Kobenhavn, 2 caps), Peter Zois (36, Strasborg, 1 cap) and Adam Federici (29, Salernitana, uncapped). Nathan Coe got the gig in the end. Defence was tougher in the opposite way – rather than having too many obvious choices, I barely had any. Three of my choices were into their 30s and two of the key players – Williams and Wilkshire – had barely played a senior game all season. The midfield is looking a bit better. There are two uncapped players there – Joe Stam and Jim Vargas – but they both look to be good prospects. We are missing a lot of experience there with Kewell, Bresciano, Grella, Culina and Emerton too old to be realistically considered. I did go with veterans Tim Cahill and Nathan Burns to add a bit of stability. Our forwards are highlighted by several quality players. Indeed, I had to reluctantly leave out the likes of Jay Lucas and Brett Holman. David Williams is the star, but Kennedy is a great target. | Pkd | Inf | Name | Position | Club | Height | Weight | Age | Value | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Nathan Coe | GK | FC København | 191 cm | 86 kg | 29 | £550K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Tando Velaphi | GK | Bochum | 185 cm | 85 kg | 27 | £2.2M | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Matt Murphy | GK | Reading | 188 cm | 87 kg | 21 | £1.8M | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Ljubo Milicevic | SW, D C | Brøndby | 192 cm | 90 kg | 33 | £110K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Ryan McGowan | D RLC, DM | Standard | 188 cm | 83 kg | 24 | £425K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Mark Byrnes | D LC | Lorient | 184 cm | 81 kg | 32 | £900K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Adrian Leijer | D LC | Karlsruhe | 186 cm | 86 kg | 28 | £130K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Jacob Timpano | D C | Stuttgart | 189 cm | 88 kg | 28 | £350K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Rhys Williams | D C | Fulham | 182 cm | 82 kg | 25 | £950K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Luke Wilkshire | D/WB RL | West Brom | 176 cm | 71 kg | 32 | £110K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Alex Sunasky | D/AM C | Brøndby | 182 cm | 79 kg | 25 | £800K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Joe Stam | M C | Newcastle Jets | 178 cm | 75 kg | 21 | £80K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Jim Vargas | M C | Middlesbrough | 177 cm | 72 kg | 19 | £1.1M | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Josip Magdic | AM RC | Amiens | 186 cm | 81 kg | 27 | £775K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Franck Moussa | AM RC | St. Mirren | 177 cm | 73 kg | 26 | £1.3M | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Chris Tadrosse | AM L | RKC | 175 cm | 72 kg | 28 | £1.6M | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Rocky Visconte | AM LC | Cádiz | 179 cm | 77 kg | 24 | £775K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Tim Cahill | AM C | Everton | 178 cm | 72 kg | 34 | £190K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Nathan Burns | AM/F C | - | 175 cm | 73 kg | 26 | - | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Scott McDonald | F C | Leeds | 173 cm | 72 kg | 30 | £500K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | David Williams | F C | Sampdoria | 177 cm | 73 kg | 26 | £7.75M | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Joshua Kennedy | ST | Rimini | 194 cm | 91 kg | 31 | £2.1M | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Tim Smits | ST | NAC Breda | 178 cm | 75 kg | 27 | £1.8M | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| With odds of 33-1 to win, a progression beyond the group stage would be enough for me. Australia vs Sweden, World Cup group stage, Neutral We thankfully had no injuries, and could go out full-strength. Playing with a basic 4-4-2, I had Velaphi in goal, Leijer, Timpano, McGowan and Wilkshire across the back, Visconte, Sunasky, Cahill and Magdic along the midfield and Burns and Williams up front. Australia was the better side in the first half, with Williams and Cahill both having fine chances. The closest we came, though, was a header from Cahill which came back off the crossbar. Australia hit the lead in the 61st when Burns headed in a corner from Timpano and though we had plenty of chances to score a second, one goal was enough. Australia vs England, World Cup group stage, Neutral Tadrosse and Kennedy replaced Visconte and Burns. We conceded after only five minutes with Daniel Sturridge's shot deflecting off a defender. Williams had a few shots saved and Cahill put a header wide. In the 65th, a tremendous long ball from Magdic put Williams past defender John Terry, and he used his exceptional pace to burst through and score. Rooney put England back in front five minutes later and it finished 1-2. We lost David Williams to a knock, putting him in doubt for the next game. Australia vs Zimbabwe, World Cup group stage, Neutral Burns replaced Williams. This was a game we needed to get a good result in, but disastrously we let through a goal in just 40 seconds. Burns hammed in a cross from Magdic ten minutes later and put us into the lead in the 28th.. We carried that 2-1 lead right until the very end when Zimbabwe scored no less than five minutes into injury time. Thankfully, England beat Sweden 1-0, so we made it through to the second round. Australia vs Portugal, World Cup group stage, Neutral We lost Magdic to an injury suffered in the previous game, with Moussa replacing him. The only event of the first 90 minutes was Moussa getting injured, replaced by Stam. Williams replaced Burns after 90 minutes. Apparently my luck from Rushden carried over – Portugal scored from an offside in the 112th, the goal stood and we were knocked out of the World Cup. Not the first time Australia has been robbed in the World Cup... With Mexico defeating South Korea in the final, at least our result wasn't the only odd one. The FA were satisfied with my performance. Tim Cahill and Ljubo Milicevic retired from international football. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 Pre-season, 14/15 As expected, we lost plenty of players Kewell and Dyer retired, and Hallfreðsson agreed terms with Aberdeen for a free transfer. There were a few unexpected bids as well, with Deportivo meeting Kent Hansen's ₤2.5M release clause and Perth Glory making a ₤250K bid for Ahti Oja. However, the latter fell through when Perth Glory exceeded its salary cap. I more than made up for that with the ₤2.5M sale of François Guichard to Liverpool. We also picked up a couple of bonuses: ₤625K – 25% of former goalkeeper Morten Jakobsen's ₤2.5M transfer from Manchester United to Inter and ₤2.3M – 40% of Lauri Dalla Valle's ₤5.75M move from Sampdoria to Newcastle. With assistant Jack Reilly walking out, I needed a replacement. Lionel Letizi was the man, the 41-year-old former French international, who played with Nice right up to 10/11, greatly boosts our knowledge of many major European countries. Alex Bryant, Barry Callaghan, Jon Ashton were immediately released at the ends of their contracts. I decided to wait on my signings before deciding on the others. Noting our weaknesses of the previous season, I sought out attacking players. Striker Nathan Joynes came over from Inverness CT, attacking midfielder Matt Sparrow from Nottingham Forest and left winger Stephen Murray from Blackpool. Having boosted the attacking areas, I let go Alex Bolt, Lee Tomlin, Frankie Artus and David Greenwood. Defender Aaron Beech was also surplus to requirements. I held on to Anthony Grant for the time being. My plans were thrown into disarray when Middlesbrough made a late ₤1.9M bid for Clive Owen. Given that he was unhappy at the club, I accepted, leaving us a bit weak at the back. I fended off offers for Petre, Miskelly and Bradshaw in the hopes of having some stability. Our pre-season matches saw wins over Notts County, Tottenham reserves and Bournemouth. We lost to Gretna and drew with Middlesbrough. I sent Lawrence Lambley and Alan Farley to Notts County. We've lost a lot of mainstays from the senior side. Artus was one of our best midfielders for quite a few seasons, and was quite a valuable attacking player with 21 goals in 126 games. Beech was also a solid player, playing 115 games, but there's just too many options at centre back. Bolt was at the club for all my eight seasons, only playing 29 games. Tomlin, Ashton and Bryant are profiled below: ================================================================================================ Lee Tomlin - Rushden Career 2005 - 25/7/14 ================================================================================================ Year Apps Gls Asts Yel Red MoM Av R ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2006/2007 7 (1) 2 2 0 0 1 6.63 2007/2008 14 5 1 0 0 0 6.93 2008/2009 15 (2) 6 6 2 0 1 7.06 2009/2010 15 (2) 9 5 2 0 2 7.29 2010/2011 30 (1) 15 10 0 0 2 7.32 2011/2012 15 (4) 6 5 1 0 0 7.11 2012/2013 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---- 2013/2014 16 (3) 6 0 0 0 0 6.89 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTAL 112 (13) 49 29 5 0 6 7.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DOB: 12/11/89 Position: ST Nationality: English International Caps/Goals: 0/0 Total Career League Games: 132 Previous Clubs: None Achievements: 24/04/10 - English Conference National champions 03/04/11 - English Johnstone's Paint Trophy Runners Up 01/05/11 - English League Two Player of the Month for April 05/05/12 - English League One champions Named in English Conference Team of the Week: 4 times Named in English League Two Team of the Week: 1 time Named in English League One Team of the Week: 1 time ================================================================================================ Jon Ashton - Rushden Career 15/6/06 - 1/7/14 ================================================================================================ Year Apps Gls Asts Yel Red MoM Av R ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2006/2007 21 (3) 0 2 2 0 0 6.83 2007/2008 30 (2) 1 0 0 0 4 7.38 2008/2009 23 (2) 1 2 1 0 1 7.00 2009/2010 31 (0) 0 4 2 0 4 7.23 2010/2011 29 (2) 0 0 3 0 0 7.23 2011/2012 40 (0) 0 0 1 0 4 7.55 2012/2013 19 (1) 0 2 2 0 0 6.90 2013/2014 2 0 0 0 0 0 7.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTAL 195 (10) 2 10 11 0 13 7.21 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DOB: 4/10/1982 Position: D Rc/DM Nationality: English International Caps/Goals: 0/0 Total Career League Games: 285 Previous Clubs: Leicester (9 games), Notts County (2)*, Oxford (97) * = On Loan Achievements: 24/04/10 - English Conference National champions 03/04/11 - English Johnstone's Paint Trophy Runners Up 05/05/12 - English League One champions 27/05/12 - Named in English League One Players' Select Named in English Conference Team of the Week: 8 times Named in English League Two Team of the Week: 1 time Named in English League One Team of the Week: 2 times ================================================================================================ Alex Bryant - Rushden Career 26/7/06 - 1/7/14 ================================================================================================ Year Apps Con cln Yel Red MoM Av R ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2006/2007 9 10 3 0 0 0 6.33 2007/2008 3 5 0 0 0 0 6.67 2008/2009 30 28 11 0 0 0 6.93 2009/2010 22 23 9 0 0 0 6.73 2010/2011 27 30 9 0 0 0 7.00 2011/2012 36 25 20 0 0 2 7.11 2012/2013 21 36 3 0 0 2 6.76 2013/2014 19 21 5 0 0 2 6.68 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTAL 167 180 60 0 0 6 6.87 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DOB: 26/9/1984 Position: GK Nationality: English International Caps/Goals: 0/0 Total Career League Games: 137 Previous Clubs: Brighton (0 games) Achievements: 24/04/10 - English Conference National champions 03/04/11 - English Johnstone's Paint Trophy Runners Up 05/05/12 - English League One champions 27/05/12 - Named in English League One Players' Select Named in English Conference Team of the Week: 2 times Named in English League Two Team of the Week: 1 time Named in English League One Team of the Week: 3 times Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 SEASON OVERVIEW 14/15 The Club Home Ground: Nene Park, Irthlingborough - capacity 13, 363 (11, 563 seated) Rivals: Kettering, Northampton (fierce); Peterborough, Oxford, Luton Reputation: Regional Estimated Value: ₤5.25M Balance ₤22M Transfer Budget: ₤12.5M (₤15.7M remaining) Media Prediction: 13th Board Expectation: Respectable league position Fan Expectation: Respectable league position Staff Chairman: Keith Cousins Assistant Manager: Lionel Letizi Coaches: Scott Gemmill, Kevin Horlock, Mehdi Nafti, Mark McLaughlin (General); Mark McGeown (GK); Liam Grieves (Youth) Physio: Eoin Jess Scouts: Antonio North, Andy McWilliam, Craig Graham The Squad | Pkd | Inf | Name | No. | Squad Status | Cnt | Weekly wage | Expires | Value | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | GK | Inj | Wayne Henderson | 24 | Key Player | F/T | £2,700 | 30.6.2016 | £85K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Scott Gallacher | 27 | Key Player | F/T | £4,000 | 30.6.2017 | £60K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | | Andrew Makhanya | 32 | Key Player | F/T | £7,250 | 30.6.2017 | £1.2M | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | | Glenn Wilson | 2 | First Team | F/T | £1,300 | 30.6.2016 | £16K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MC | Wnt | Anthony Grant | 21 | First Team | F/T | £1,700 | - | - | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MC | | Yan Klukowski | 20 | First Team | F/T | £1,100 | 30.6.2015 | £450K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S3 | | Aaron Morgan | 3 | First Team | F/T | £1,600 | 30.6.2016 | £45K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | Unh | Graham Hart | 15 | First Team | F/T | £950 | 30.6.2015 | £675K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | | Vitalijs Vilerush | 25 | First Team | F/T | £850 | 30.6.2016 | £2.6M | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | Unh | Levi Koopman | 34 | First Team | F/T | £1,600 | 30.6.2016 | £1.7M | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S2 | | Matt Sparrow | 6 | Rotation | F/T | £2,500 | 30.6.2016 | £95K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Nathan Joynes | 22 | Rotation | F/T | £1,000 | 30.6.2015 | £170K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | ML | | Stephen Murray | 29 | Rotation | F/T | £2,000 | 30.6.2016 | £10K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MR | | Jimmy Phillips | 19 | Rotation | F/T | £750 | 30.6.2015 | £80K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Adam Hett | 23 | Rotation | F/T | £1,800 | 30.6.2015 | £50K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S4 | Wnt | Danny Glover | 9 | Rotation | F/T | £1,100 | 30.6.2015 | £65K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S5 | Wnt | Thierry Palma | 26 | Rotation | F/T | £220 | 30.6.2017 | £50K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Mike Tobin | 33 | Rotation | F/T | £575 | 30.6.2015 | £35K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Anne Esser | 30 | Rotation | F/T | £1,400 | 30.6.2016 | £24K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Constantin Petre | 37 | Rotation | F/T | £275 | 30.6.2015 | £120K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Ben Gill | 8 | Backup | F/T | £750 | 30.6.2015 | £18K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S1 | | Kelvin Lomax | 13 | Backup | F/T | £650 | 30.6.2016 | £7K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Paris Cowan-Hall | 17 | Backup | F/T | £170 | 30.6.2015 | £35K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | John Middleton | - | Backup | F/T | £500 | 30.6.2017 | £14K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | | Lars Roland | 16 | Backup | F/T | £650 | 30.6.2017 | £1.3M | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Kestutis Zutautas | 11 | Backup | F/T | £220 | 30.6.2015 | £1.1M | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Eamonn Bradshaw | 7 | Backup | F/T | £850 | 30.6.2017 | £350K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Bid | Paul Miskelly | 4 | Hot Prospect | F/T | £160 | 30.6.2015 | £100K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Ahti Oja | - | Youngster | F/T | £425 | 30.6.2017 | £24K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | James McCraw | - | Youngster | F/T | £100 | 30.6.2015 | £26K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | John Porter | - | Youngster | F/T | £140 | 30.6.2016 | £3K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Alan Farley | - | Youngster | F/T | £55 | 30.6.2015 | £6K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Chris Nurse | - | Youngster | Yth | £95 | 30.6.2015 | - | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Carlos McDonald | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2015 | - | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Rene Welsh | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2015 | - | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Wes Cunningham | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2015 | - | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Scott Todd | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2015 | - | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Lawrence Lambley | - | Not Needed | F/T | £140 | 30.6.2015 | £14K | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Wage Budget: £215,324 Total Weekly Wages at 30/7/14: £40,793 Senior Players: 20 Reserve Players: 18 U-18 Players: 12 [Note that players classed as Backup, Prospect or Youngster will not be profiled (with a few exceptions), and are regarded as reserve players] Player [Pos, Nationality, Height, Age] – Rushden Seasons, Rushden League Games, Rushden League Goals Goalkeepers Scott Gallacher [GK, SCO, 180cm, 25] – 1, 5, 0 A bit of a troublesome signing, with a long injury history despite his talent. Gallacher was a top keeper in Scotland but only had one clean sheet in five games at Rushden and will need to fight for the top spot. Wayne Henderson [GK, IRE – 2 caps, 180cm, 30] – 2, 54, 0 Settled in with a slightly better season, albeit at a lower level. He conceded less than a goal a game and was retained ahead of Bryant. He will probably be the first choice as the more established player. Defenders Levi Koopman [D C/DM, HOL, 180cm, 23] – 2, 64, 1 A quality defender who is also capable as a defensive midfielder. He wants to move to a bigger club and may well be let go, but since he's contracted until 2016, I'd expect at least ₤2.5M for him. English League One Players' Select 13/14 Kelvin Lomax [D RL, ENG, 181cm, 26] – 4, 48, 2 Was in line to be released, but with the likes of Hansen, Jenes, Ashton and Owen gone, having a full back is now quite important. He looked okay in limited games last season, and will be a regular player. Andrew Makhanya [D C, SAF – 16 caps, 184cm, 21] – 1, 13, 1 You'd know by now that I don't like spending money, so the fact that I not only forked out a transfer fee, but relatively huge wages for Makhanya suggests I regard him as a huge talent. Put simply, he is the key to this side. He got four Man of the Match awards in 13 games last season, and that was after coming straight from South Africa. Now that he's settled, I expect him to be our star. John Middleton [D/WB R, SCO – Capped at U19 level, 183cm, 21] – 1, 0, 0 Looked strong in the reserves after his ₤12K move from Plymouth. He is purely an attacking defender, and may in fact be better on the right wing, but team balance may see him play at the back. Glenn Wilson will mentor him. Paul Miskelly [D L, NIR – 1 U21 cap, 178cm, 18] – 1, 0, 0 Spent last season on loan at Notts County and didn't do too badly considering his youth. Miskelly has pace but is not as defensively inept as Middleton. With Hansen gone, may get a run at some point. He's attracted attention from Blackpool and Inverness, but will stay at Rushden for the time being. Aaron Morgan [D C, ENG, 188cm, 24] – 3, 52, 0 I had to choose between Morgan and Beech when deciding who would get a new contract, and Morgan won out. He was one of our best defenders, and adds a bit of experience with younger players like Petre and Makhanya in the side. Constantin Petre [D C, ROM, 176cm, 21] – 2, 8, 0 Continuing to develop as a player, and with a few centre backs gone, may get a bit more of a go. However, he is definitely down the pecking order. Glenn Wilson [D RC, WAL, 186cm, 28] – 8, 200, 4 Has reached 200 league games for the club, and is still going strong. Will play an important role at right back with Owen gone. English Players' League Two Select 10/11; English Players' League One Select 11/12 Midfielders Eamonn Bradshaw [AM RC, SCO – Capped at U19 level, 180cm, 19] – 1, 0, 0 Was on loan at Notts County all last season, and rather unimpressive. He looks great on paper, but needs to put performances on the board to break into the seniors. Paris Cowan-Hall [AM L, ENG, 180cm, 23] – 8, 57, 8 Somehow still at the club despite missing training on several occasions and being unhappy at not getting a game. He did actually play 18 league matches last season, and his ability on either wing is handy. Possibly in his last year at the club. Anne Esser [AM LC, HOL, 183cm, 20] – 1, 3, 0 Played a few games after his ₤4K move from Portsmouth, but has a lot of work to do to earn a senior spot. Danny Glover [AM L/ST, ENG, 183cm, 24] – 1, 12, 1 A massive disappointment, spending plenty of time in the reserves. He should be a good scorer, but showed little last season and will likely go at the end of the season. Anthony Grant [DM C, ENG, 178cm, 27] – 3, 68, 6 Is actually out of contract, but given that he's demanding ₤6K per week, he's not going to be getting one. He's actually a capable right back, and may spend some time there. I'll hang onto him as long as I can, but don't be surprised if he leaves soon. Yan Klukowski [M C, SCO, 186cm, 27] – 4, 98, 17 Still going strong, with one of his best seasons last year. Renewing his contract will be costly, but may well be worth it. English League Two Player of the Month, February 2011; English League One Player of the Month, February 2012 Stephen Murray [AM L, SCO, 163cm, 31] – 0, 0, 0 I don't often make veteran signings, but the diminutive Murray looks a talent. He's spent most of his career in the lower leagues, but did well for fellow League One side Blackburn last season. He hugs the left wing and has the confidence to try and beat opponents – and the pace to actually succeed. Could be an excitement machine. Thierry Palma [AM LC/F C, FRA – 3 U21 Caps, 180cm, 22] – 1, 12, 2 Looked okay in his dozen senior games, but still has a lot of improvement to do. Jimmy Phillips [AM R, ENG, 177cm, 24] – 3, 31, 2 Finally broke into the senior side and played 21 league games. I'm still not convinced in his ability, and he will have to perform to hold his spot. Matt Sparrow [AM RLC, ENG, 183cm, 30] – 0, 0, 0 Another veteran signing, on rather hefty wages. He has Championship experience with Southend and has played in League One with Nottingham Forest for the last two seasons. He gets forward often, tries lots of dangerous passes and can play anywhere across the midfield. Kestutis Zutautas [WB L, LIT – 11 Caps, 180cm, 19] – 1, 0, 0 Clearly a quality player, but I'm trying to retrain him as a left winger so he can find a spot in the side. I'm worried that he's a bit too good for the reserves or Notts County, but just cannot find a spot in the seniors. Even if I have to mess around with the formation, he'll get a go at some point. I just worry that he will leave the club before he makes an impact. Forwards Graham Hart [sT, IRE – 3 U21 Caps, 183cm, 23] – 3, 80, 32 Was our leading scorer last season, but only 12 goals in 31 league games is not good enough. I can't understand why he isn't performing despite a quality midfield and lack of competition up forward, but this is probably his last Rushden season. Adam Hett [sT, ENG, 180cm, 24] – 1, 7, 1 Like I said last season, a rotational player at best. He gives us another forward option, but will probably make a killing in the reserves. Nathan Joynes [sT, ENG, 186cm, 28] – 0, 0, 0 A proven goalscorer in Scotland, though he has some experience at this level with Carlisle. Much like Hett in that he is a well-rounded but unremarkable striker who simply provides another option. Lars Roland [AM L/ST, DEN, 181cm, 22] – 4, 38, 10 Attracting a lot of attention from other clubs, but none have met my ₤2.5M asking price yet. He showed a bit of goalscoring form towards the end of last season, and will play as a striker on a rotational basis this season. English League Two Young Player of the Month January 2013; English League Two Player of the Month February 2013; Named in English Players' League Two Select 12/13 Mike Tobin [sT, AUS – 8 U21 caps, 178cm, 22] – 2, 9, 1 Has just not performed, and will struggle to get a senior game. Vitalijs Vilerush [sT, LAT – 6 caps, 186cm, 22] – 4, 57, 20 Had his best season in terms of scoring, but continues to frustrate. He's a quality player, but just needs to get the goals on the board. Overview The expectations are actually lower than last season, which in some respects makes things easier. However, it's also a sign that this squad is weaker than last season, which I didn't want to hear. There's no doubt there's been a lot of changes, and not all by choice. I certainly wouldn't have let Hansen go if not for the release clause, and would have preferred to hang on to Hallfreðsson. The additions to the side over the pre-season are not exceptional, and we will need to rely on established players to step up further. An upper-mid table spot this season would be preferable. I would like to see an improvement in our cup performances, especially with the expanded stadium. First XI Yep, yet another new formation. I wanted to go with a 3-5-2 with attacking wingers and a defensive midfielder, but since I'm not sure how long Grant will stay, I'm going with a straight 3-4-3. This should take advantage of our many attacking players and cover our lack of quality full backs. GK: Wayne Henderson CB: Glenn Wilson CB: Andrew Makhanya CB: Levi Koopman RM: Jimmy Phillips LM: Stephen Murray CM: Anthony Grant CM: Yan Klukowski CF: Lars Roland CF: Graham Hart CF: Vitalijs Vilerush Sub: Kelvin Lomax Sub: Aaron Morgan Sub: Danny Glover Sub: Matt Sparrow Sub: Thierry Palmer Captain: Glenn Wilson Penalties: Lars Roland, Nathan Joynes, Matt Sparrow Free Kicks: (L) Kelvin Lomax, Danny Glover; ® Andrew Makhanya, Levi Koopman Corners: (L) Thierry Palmer, Yan Klukowski; ® Levi Koopman, Yan Klukowski Throw Ins: (L) Matt Sparrow, Andrew Makhanya; ® Glenn Wilson, Jimmy Phillips Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 August, 2014 Blackpool, League One, Home Henderson was out injured for this game, so Gallacher started in goal. We had just two shots all game, with Grant putting a free over and Vilerush's volley saved. Gallacher kept a clean sheet in the dull draw. Mansfield, League One, Away Matt Sparrow made his début on the right wing. Again we didn't have a single shot in the first half, and though Gallacher made a few saves early on, he conceded just after half time. We could not challenge Mansfield at all, and lost 0-1. I snapped up Norwegian Under-21 international Marcin Zakrzewski for ₤325K. Marcin Zakrzewski [AM L, NOR – 2 U21 caps, 183cm, 18] – 0, 0, 0 A quality young player who was signed as a result of my concern at losing so many wingers in the last few seasons (eg. McCallum, Anya, Hallfreðsson, Owen...). He doesn't have great running ability, but has superb touch and set up plenty of goals at Viking. A rotational player. Swansea, League One, Away Zakrzewski started on the left wing. We went behind after 13 minutes and we missed an immediate response when a free from Glover came back off the crossbar. Glover scored in the 43rd, and Hart looked to have put us ahead two minutes later, but it was ruled out. Swansea had one of their own ruled out in the second half, but an equally dubious goal in the 74th stood. We had a few more shots than the last few games, and Makhanya was Man of the Match for the second time, but we have just one point from three games. AUSTRALIA vs CROATIA, Friendly, Home Australia 2 (Stam 5, 52) d. Croatia 0 MK Dons, League One, Home Henderson came in for his first game of the season and Joynes made his début up forward. Sparrow was forced off injured early and Dons twice in three minutes mid-way through the first half. A volley from Joynes was saved, but at least he had a shot on goal, unlike our other forwards. Dons added a third before Joynes scored on début from a Koopman shot that came back off the post. 1-3, and this season is looking terrible already. Shrewsbury, League Cup 1st round, Away With the side in such dismal form, I didn't dare resting senior players for this game. Even so, the first 90 minutes went by without score. After 18 shots, we still hadn't scored before a goalmouth scramble that saw Hart hit the bar and Vilerush have a shot saved finally saw Roland tap in from point blank range when the ball fell at his feet. So in some games we can't get a shot, and now even when we do, it take forever to score from them – against a League Two opponent, no less. Huddersfield, League One, Away After taking 120 minutes to score in the previous game, it only took 5 here. Adam Hett, coming up due to fatigue to senior players from the marathon game a few days earlier, managed to tap in when a Koopman header was parried by the keeper. Huddersfield took only moments to reply, but we did well to hold them off for the rest of the game. Well, almost. Two minutes into second half injury time, guess which side scored? Chesterfield, League One, Home Joynes badly missed a rare chance, but a penalty in the 34th out us ahead, with Morgan successful from the spot. Roland extended the lead when Joynes' shot was parried to him in the second half. Chesterfield got one back in the 74th, but surely we could hold on for 16 more minutes. Well, we did that. For the second game in a row, we conceded a goal in injury time. 2-2. Fed up with these efforts, I decided it was time to shake things up – and not just with a bunch of switches between the reserves and seniors. I totally overhauled the formation, going with a 4-1-3-2 formation. I also went for a few free transfer signings. Unfortunately, we aren't quite big enough for me to convince the likes of Cahill, Owen, Beckham and Ronaldinho, though I did make offers. The players I signed were all defenders as it turned out, which I suppose fits in well with the formation. Rasmus Dudek [D RC, DEN, 189cm, 19] – 0, 0, 0 An imposing figure, who despite not playing a game at Silkeborg, shows some promise of developing into a quality defender and long-term replacement for Wilson. Will start in the reserves. Robert Markovic [D L, AUT, 179cm, 21] – 0, 0, 0 A solid and well-rounded defender who doesn't have great pace, but looks okay defensively. Didn't play a senior game at Ried and will take time to break into the seniors. Juho Heinonen [D C/DM, FIN – 2 U21 caps, 184cm, 19] – 0, 0, 0 The best of the signings, Heinonen has great passing ability is skilful and brilliant from free kicks. He has senior experience with MyPa in Finland, and could be a top player for Rushden. Stefan Johansson [D/WB L, SWE, 184cm, 19] – 0, 0, 0 Another brilliant free kick taker, who is both a strong tackler and good crosser, so can be valuable from both an attacking and defensive perspective. Yet to play a senior game, and will be sent on loan to Notts County. Portsmouth, League One, Away John Middleton came up for his début at right back, but it was fellow full back Kelvin Lomax who hit a curling goal from outside the area in the 11th. Graham Hart broke past two defenders and struck in another from 20 yards before half time and an own goal from an astonishing goalkeeper error made it 3-0. The only new signing to be part of the side was Heinonen, and he didn't even come off the bench. That was one hell of a month to start the season. We had just one win, but it was a convincing one against a recently relegated team, which is promising. The other games have shown alternate problems of barely any shots and then a huge wastage of chances, so it's hard to pinpoint the real issue. Makhanya was exceptional, and I was amazed he was only runner-up as Young Player of the Month. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 September, 2014 Leyton Orient, League One, Home We lost key player Makhanya to international duty. Alex Bryant lined up against us and made a few early saves, while Henderson conceded twice in the twenty minutes. Klukowski got us back in it, heading in a Koopman corner from a fair distance out. Bryant continued to make quality saves and despite having three times as many shots as Orient, we lost 1-2. Hartlepool, League One, Away Again we went from wasting plenty of chances to having virtually none. After being belted in the first half, with Henderson thankfully holding on, Hart put us ahead moments into the second half. Hartlepool got level in the 70th, but a classic 20-yard strike from Klukowski with ten minutes to go regained the lead. For once, we didn't concede in injury time, and picked up three valuable points. Heinonen made a good début. Colchester, League One, Away Zakrzewski launched a number of attacks early, but we suffered a blow when not only was Heinonen sent off for a professional foul, Colchester scored from the resulting free. Despite being a man down, a break saw Roland level the scores in the 39th. Somehow, Roland found the space to put through a second in the 81st, but naturally it was ruled out. Still, a brave point is better than nothing. Aston Villa, League Cup 2nd round, Away Roland continued his fine form, chipping a goal after three minutes. Zakrzewski blasted in a second five minutes later. Villa scored just before the break, leaving us 45 minutes to hold onto a one-goal lead. Somehow, despite Makhanya having an awful game, we did it. Wilson and Koopman were the star defenders as we progressed in the League Cup against a Premier Division opponent. We also set a new record attendance of 13,351, and gate takings of ₤275K. Gillingham, League One, Home This was a flat game, but one goal to Jimmy Phillips did the job – three points to Rushden. Walsall, League One, Home Another game where we wasted a huge number of chances, with Vilerush's goal drought continuing. Graham Hart made up for his partner with a goal in the 64th and we held on for the win. Gillingham, League One, Home Wilson saved us early by clearing the ball off the line, and Preston had a goal disallowed. However, another one in the 29th stood, and they made it 0-2 moments later. Hell, we could have been 0-4 down, so at least that's some consolation. They then added a third before half time. We actually looked okay in the second half, with Henderson making some saves and Roland scoring on a counter-attack. He scored again with four minutes to go, but late misses from Vilerush and Klukowski prevented an incredible comeback. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 October, 2014 Northampton, League One, Home Vilerush and Heinonen were both on international duty, but neither was really missed. Northampton's keeper was unbeatable, at one stage making four successive saves from Roland and Klukowski. Finally, late in the game, Roland played Nathan Joynes through the defence, and he charged right into the area and put it just past the keeper for a winner. Barnet, League One, Home Hart forced a save and Roland missed a sitter in the first half. Gallacher tipped a free over the crossbar before Hart fired in an absolute ripper from 20 yards to put us in front in the 52nd.. Roland had another shot tipped over a few minutes later and Lomax put a long-range effort just over. Rushden could have perhaps won by more, but I'm not going to complain about three points. AUSTRALIA vs QATAR, Asian Nations Cup Qualifying, group A, Neutral The build-up to this game was rather messy, as I originally picked goalkeepers Matt Murphy, Tando Velaphi and Nathan Coe. Andrew Downes would normally have been part of the squad, but I decided to leave him out for these relatively minor games. When Coe was injured, I called up Downes...only to have him refuse. Ned Zelic Mark II? I demanded an apology in the media, but he refused. Australia 3 (Kennedy 21, 28 – pen; Lucas 88) d. Qatar 0 AUSTRALIA vs YEMEN, Asian Nations Cup Qualifying, group A, Neutral Australia 2 (Lucas 47, 52) d. Yemen 0 Sheff Utd, League One, Home Sheffield United scored early, and the closest we came was a shot from Hart which was saved. They added a second late in the game, but Vilerush finally broke his drought to get us back in it with fifteen minutes to go. With a knock to Lomax, I brought Glover on to change from four defenders to three, and placing the new man alongside Hart and Vilerush. They combined perfectly – Vilerush passed into the area, Hart flicked the ball across to Glover and he put it past the out-of-position keeper. 2-2. AUSTRALIA vs SYRIA, Asian Nations Cup Qualifying, group A, Neutral Australia 2 (Lucas 61; Stam 87) d. Syria 1 (pen - 71) Stevenage, Johnstone's Paint Trophy, Away A few senior players took a break due to the League Two opposition, but regular Koopman was in, and he scored from a powerful 20-yard strike. Stevenage got one past Gallacher in the 19th to level the scores and could actually have scored another on a couple of occasions. Joynes put us back in the lead when he headed in a pass from Zakrzewski from point-blank range and Glover nearly got one with an incredible 40-yard curling strike that was barely tipped away. Zakrzewski added one of his own from a tight angle just after half time to seal it 3-1. Crewe, League One, Away Eammon Bradshaw débuted on the right wing. Crewe hit the post in the opening minute. Hart ran three-quarters of the pitch on two occasions, putting a shot over once and having the second saved. Klukowski had a much simpler chance in the 34th, but put it over. A terrific first-time long ball from Zakrzewski gave Roland a goal just before half time. Lomax saved us by clearing a parry from Henderson that almost went straight to a striker and then scored one at the other end. A dominant 2-0 win. AUSTRALIA vs YEMEN, Asian Nations Cup Qualifying, group A, Neutral Australia 4 (Williams 26; Burns 41; Spiranovic 62; McDonald 90) d. Yemen 0 Arsenal, League Cup 3rd round, Away It was going to take something special for us to beat Arsenal, and Hart's 25-yard strike from the corner of the area fitted the bill. Arsenal got one back in three minutes, making it 1-1 after 27. Klukowski had several chances to put us ahead, but failed to do so. Arsenal had William Gallas sent off with 20 minutes to go, but they held on to keep things level at the end of normal time. With 18 shots to 5, Rushden had a stunning dominance, but just didn't have the score on the board. Veteran German international Timo Hildebrand was doing a great job in goal for Arsenal, and we just couldn't break through. There are few good penalty takers in the side, so we needed an extra time goal. After seven unsuccessful shots, I'd all but given up hope as soon as Klukowski got the ball on the edge of the area. He took it forward, spinning around a defender...and was on target at last. 2-1, right on the end of the first half of extra time. Lars Roland just barely squeezed in a header with five minutes to go to make it 3-1. An incredible win against the side which won the last five Premier Division titles. To be fair, that side included just five of their first team squad, with the likes of Fabregas, van Persie, Vela and Adebayor left out, but I'll take it. AUSTRALIA vs SYRIA, Asian Nations Cup Qualifying, group A, Neutral Australia 0 drew Syria 0 AUSTRALIA vs QATAR, Asian Nations Cup Qualifying, group A, Neutral Australia 3 (og 13; Lucas 74, 78) drew Qatar 1 (37, 89) Brighton, League One, Home A superbly incisive pass from Klukowski saw Roland score within 90 seconds and Makhanya headed in another mid-way through the half. Heinonen blasted in a third from 25 yards and a penalty from Klukowski made it 4-0 at half time. Brighton actually got one back just after the break, but Hart completed the win in the 82nd. Our first real rout in quite a while, and some pleasing signs. After our undefeated month, I was named Manager of the Month and Makhanya was Young Player of the Month. | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Portsmouth | | 18 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 34 | 26 | +8 | 36 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Millwall | | 18 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 26 | 14 | +12 | 33 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Lincoln | | 18 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 12 | +5 | 29 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Gillingham | | 18 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 21 | 14 | +7 | 28 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Coventry | | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 26 | 20 | +6 | 28 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Swansea | | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 29 | 24 | +5 | 28 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Huddersfield | | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 28 | 24 | +4 | 28 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Rushden | | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 23 | 19 | +4 | 28 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Northampton | | 18 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 28 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Preston | | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 25 | 26 | -1 | 28 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Mansfield | | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 20 | 25 | -5 | 28 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Barnet | | 18 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 20 | 14 | +6 | 27 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | MK Dons | | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 18 | 16 | +2 | 27 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Hartlepool | | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 25 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Blackpool | | 18 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 22 | 20 | +2 | 24 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Crewe | | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 21 | -3 | 23 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Leyton Orient | | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 23 | 26 | -3 | 22 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Bristol Rovers | | 18 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 21 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Colchester | | 18 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 18 | 20 | -2 | 19 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Walsall | | 18 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 15 | 19 | -4 | 18 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Wrexham | | 18 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 16 | 22 | -6 | 18 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Nottm Forest | | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 25 | -9 | 17 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Chesterfield | | 18 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 27 | -12 | 15 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | | Sheff Utd | | 18 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 22 | 38 | -16 | 7 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 November, 2014 Brighton, League One, Home Glover came close with a powerful free, and we would have scored from the keeper's parry if the disappointing Matt Sparrow had been quicker. Glover scored in the 30th, only to have Bristol answer a few minutes later on the counter-attack. Wilson conceded a penalty in the 54th that put us behind, but a curling free from Glover made it level in the 70th..A good performance, but only one point. Chelsea, League Cup 4th round, Away Our last encounter, in 2011, saw a 2-1 win to Rushden with goals to Dalla Valle and Stamp. Considering Dalla Valle just completed a ₤5.75M move to Newcastle, I'm not convinced we have a player of his calibre at the club these days. Still, we did beat Arsenal just a few weeks earlier, and they've been far stronger than Chelsea in recent years. Hart made a mess of a 4th minute header that was a genuine chance and we lost Zakrzewski to injury. It was a fairly quiet first half, but in the 42nd Makhanya cleared the ball from Chelsea's area. Klukowski got onto the ball and hit it far ahead for the running Danny Glover, who rounded the keeper and SCORED! Glover and Hart each forced saves in the second half, while Chelsea barely had a chance. The minutes ticked by, but I wasn't sure of the win until the final whistle blew. Rushden 1, Chelsea 0. Admittedly, they did rest a number of players, with only six of their senior squad selected. Still, those players included Gary O'Neil, Steven Smith and Serdar Tasci, plus an Italian international keeper. Stafford, FA Cup 1st Round, Home From a top Premiership opponent to one in the Conference. At least I had the chance to rest a few players, with Kestutis Zutautas making his début. Adam Hett scored from a 10th minute free and Zutautas headed in a goal. We could have won by much more, but with a goal disallowed and plenty of saves, 2-0 was the finish. Zutautas was terrific and may well have earned a first team spot. Millwall, League One, Home Zutautas retained his place on the left wing, and with injuries to Bradshaw (impressive in his five games) and Jimmy Phillips, plus Matt Sparrow in poor form, Paris Cowan-Hall started on the right wing. A terrific one-two between Klukowski and Glover almost saw our first goal, but it was turned over. Makhanya headed in a Koopman corner and Zutautas set up Glover to seal it in the final minutes. That was our seventh straight league game without a loss. Coventry, League One, Away Hart and Glover missed chances, while Coventry scored with their first. Coventry dominated after that, scoring again before half time. Hart got us back in the game with a goal in the 53rd , then scored an almost identical goal ten minutes later, levelling the scores. He almost made it a hat-trick with a powerful effort from outside the area in the 70th, but it was just tipped over. Middleton conceded a free right on the edge of the area, and though we were lucky to avoid a penalty, they still scored from the free. No response this time, and an end to an excellent streak. Barnet, Johnstone's Paint Trophy quarter final, Home This was my 500th game in charge of Rushden. The 90 minutes were even but pretty flat, so it went to penalties. Henderson made two saves, but Petre, Lomax, and Zutautas all missed, and we were knocked out. Incidentally, my record after 500 games is 230 wins, 123 draws and 147 losses, with 765 goals for and 551 against. Millwall, FA Cup 2nd round, Home We beat Millwall 2-0 a week ago, and looked to have an early goal here, only for it to be disallowed. Zutautas made up for his penalty miss in the previous game, taking a clearance on the left wing, charging ahead and slamming it in from 30 yards out an a tight angle. Stunning. Millwall got one back, but it was Zutautas who saved us again by clearing the ball off the line a few minutes later. It ended 1-1. Not such a good month, with a league loss and exit from the Trophy. Still, our season is certainly back on track after an awful start. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 December, 2014 There was bad news to start the month, with Zutautas – whose contract expires at the end of the season – requesting a move to a bigger club. He's been great since breaking into the team both on the wing and at left back, and would be a big loss. Wrexham, League One, Home Jimmy Phillips returned from injury and missed one of the few shots of the first half. Zutautas set up Thierry Palmer for a goal just after the break. Wrexham came close to an equaliser, hitting the bar at one point, and finally got it with just one minute to go thanks to an error from Scott Gallacher. However, a neat cross from Hart to Glover gave us an immediate answer, to take the three points. Blackpool, League One, Away Glover headed in a long pass from Lomax for a lead after a dozen minutes. Klukowski hit the bar with a header of his own in the second half and good keeping from Henderson, replacing the disappointing Gallacher, ensured one goal was enough. Millwall, FA Cup 2nd Round, Away This was a rare televised game for Rushden. Rushden had plenty of early shots for no result. Palma and Hart both blasted shots over, the latter after breaking through a trio of defenders. Hart finally looked to have scored in the 30th, only to be ruled offside. An incredible run Palma in the 60th again saw the ball finish in the stands, but Makhanya made no mistake from a free kick five minutes later. Mansfield League One, Home Vilerush returned after 10 goals in four reserve games. Again we did everything but score in the first half, but it took just 80 seconds for Rushden to score in the second. It came from the unusual source of Constantin Petre, hitting it in after receiving a corner. We should have won by more than a single goal, but it was enough. Coventry, League Cup Quarter Final, Away In contrast to our last few games, our opponents had the bulk of the play, but Rushden scored from a rare chance when Vilerush headed in Glover's free in the 19th. Klukowski should have made it 2-0 just a minute later, but a dubious free was awarded against him, nullifying his goal. Glover, playing on the left wing rather than his usual forward role, created a number of chances, and only good keeping from Chris Kirkland kept us out. Vilerush was also having a fine game, and scored his second. Coventry responded seconds after the break to make it 2-1, Vilerush was within inches of scoring a hat-trick, putting the ball across the face of goal in the 71st. Henderson made some tremendous saves in the final minutes, and when Kirkland came forward for a Coventry corner, a quick Rushden break meant Hart could walk the ball in. 3-1, and one of our best performances. Lincoln, League One, Away Left back Robert Markovic came in for his first game after dominating the reserves, only to see us go a goal down in 42 seconds. Rushden had a few chances, but a penalty against Koopman late in the game ended our chances of an equaliser. Swansea, League One, Home We were 2-0 after 10 minutes, with goals to Palma and Petre. Bradshaw crossed to Palma for his second and our third late in the game. Klukowski was named Player of the Month, and Petre was runner-up as Young Player of the Month. This is looking like a fine season, with good progress in the major Cup competitions and a great league position. The only negative so far is the re-signing of senior players. Constantin Petre has been the only one to agree terms. Zutautas and Klukowski are refusing to even negotiate, while Phillips and Hart are asking for big wages. Oddly enough, Grant is still at the club on a rolling contract. | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Portsmouth | | 26 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 40 | 34 | +6 | 45 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Gillingham | | 26 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 32 | 18 | +14 | 44 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Lincoln | | 26 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 27 | 16 | +11 | 44 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Coventry | | 26 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 39 | 29 | +10 | 44 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Rushden | | 26 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 36 | 27 | +9 | 44 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Millwall | | 26 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 36 | 28 | +8 | 43 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Huddersfield | | 26 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 37 | 33 | +4 | 43 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Barnet | | 26 | 9 | 13 | 4 | 28 | 19 | +9 | 40 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Swansea | | 26 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 39 | 32 | +7 | 40 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Mansfield | | 26 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 25 | 29 | -4 | 40 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Northampton | | 26 | 12 | 3 | 11 | 38 | 37 | +1 | 39 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | MK Dons | | 26 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 30 | 27 | +3 | 38 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Preston | | 26 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 35 | 35 | 0 | 38 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Hartlepool | | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 33 | 30 | +3 | 37 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Crewe | | 26 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 26 | 27 | -1 | 35 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Blackpool | | 26 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 28 | 29 | -1 | 31 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Nottm Forest | | 26 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 29 | 36 | -7 | 30 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Colchester | | 26 | 5 | 14 | 7 | 27 | 32 | -5 | 29 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Leyton Orient | | 26 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 34 | 41 | -7 | 29 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Bristol Rovers | | 26 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 23 | 25 | -2 | 28 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Wrexham | | 26 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 30 | -10 | 23 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Walsall | | 26 | 2 | 15 | 9 | 20 | 29 | -9 | 21 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Sheff Utd | | 26 | 4 | 6 | 16 | 31 | 49 | -18 | 18 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | | Chesterfield | | 26 | 3 | 7 | 16 | 18 | 39 | -21 | 16 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 January, 2015 The year started with a bang – the opening of the transfer window bringing in a flood of bids for Rushden players. Constantin Petre was the subject of a ₤1M bid from Southend, which was rejected and several clubs inquired about Bradshaw. However, the major story was the attention for Andrew Makhanya. I expected him to get plenty of attention, and so signed him up until 2017 with a ₤10M release clause. However, with the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Inter making bids, I knew I had little chance of retaining him. I only modified the ₤5.75M bids to include a 30% sell-on clause, and negotiations between the player and clubs began. Luckily, I'd already arranged a couple of signings late last year. Josué Fernández [AM R, ESP, 180cm, 20] – 0, 0, 0 A ready-made replacement for Jimmy Phillips on the right wing, Fernández is good both in the attacking and defensive aspects of the game. Though he began his career in Spain, he has spent the last two seasons at St. Johnstone in Scotland and joins for ₤250K after being described as a “quality signing” by scout Andy McWilliam. Adam Sherwood [AM RLC, ENG, 181cm, 17] – 0, 0, 0 A long-term prospect, signed from Aberdeen for ₤35K on the recommendation of scout Craig Graham. He already looks quite well-developed for his age Luton, FA Cup 3rd round, Home Makhanya started on the bench. An even game turned in the 36th when Luton's Titus Bramble was sent off and we got a penalty. Lars Roland, back after an injury, put it through, and that was the difference in the end. This game set a new record for gate receipts of ₤300K. Bolton, League Cup Semi Final leg 1, Away Makhanya returned for this game against a Premier Division side, but Freddy Adu put us a goal behind in a couple of minutes. However, we responded in the 12th when Zakrzewski made a fine run down the left and crossed to Vilerush in the box. Henderson made some great saves to end the half 1-1. A Hart shot was barely tipped over 40 seconds into the second half Bolton launched attack after attack, but brilliant games from Henderson - who made a stunning 16 saves - and Petre kept them out. With all the fuss over Makhanya, it was actually Constantin Petre who moved first, joining Deportivo for ₤2M. With a release clause in his contract, it was only a matter of time before someone picked him up, so I was just glad it was a club out of England. Huddersfield, League One, Home Aaron Morgan returned to the seniors to replace Petre. Huddersfield had most of the play, but were off-target. A dull, scoreless game. Andrew Makhanya joined Manchester United for ₤5.75M. Midfielder Eamonn Bradshaw was also sold, going for ₤2.5M to Hibernian. Unfortunately, we lost 40% of that to Bolton as a result of a sell-on clause. That makes it a rather impressive ₤17.25M from transfers this season. Unfortunately, most of those sales – Hansen, Guichard, Petre, Owen and Makhanya – have been defenders, so it's time to either start recruiting some more or using those in my reserves. MK Dons, League One, Away It was something of a new-look side that came out in this League One game, with three senior players sold in a week. Fernández started on the right wing in his first game. We were totally out-played in the first half, and were lucky to only concede a single goal. The second half was a bit more even. In the 63rd minute, Zutautas crossed to the right side of the area, and there to meet it with a powerful header was fellow winger Josué Fernández who scored on début. With only a few minutes left, Dons came forward and hit the post with a header. We cleared quickly, and again Zutautas hit a long ball from the left wing to the right of the area. This time, Vilerush was there to meet it, heading home a late winner. I made some new signings, but they were attacking players rather than replacements for our recently departed defenders. This may seem a bit odd, but keep in mind that we are set to lose Klukowski, Hart, Phillips, Zutautas and Glover at the end of the season. Paul Hayes [AM RL/ST, ENG, 183cm, 31] – 0, 0, 0 A reasonably talented goal poacher, Hayes comes over on a free transfer from Gretna, but has spent time in the Championship with Stoke and Barnsley (joining the former for ₤925K). He actually scored 31 goals in two Championship seasons back in 06/07 and 07/08, but that was a long time ago, and he will play a bit-part role here. Ivaylo Aleksandrov [sT, BUL – 2 U21 Caps, 177cm, 27] – 0, 0, 0 Not too quick despite his small size and not the smartest of players, but can score goals. Has history at CSKA (Sofia) and St. Mirren. Chesterfield, League One, Away Aleksandrov partnered Hart against the bottom-placed side. He had a header saved and put a curling shot over the bar in the first half. Unfortunately, they were among our very few chances, and a late goal to Chesterfield saw a dismal result for Rushden. I used my Oceanic knowledge to snap up another player. Lawrence Nelson [D R, ASA – 17 Caps, 180cm, 24] – 0, 0, 0 Nelson is from American Samoa, but is on a work permit. He comes from Panza East FC where he has been absolutely dominant, though there's probably a bit of a jump from American Samoa to English League One... He is extremely brave, reads the play well and tackles hard. Bolton, League Cup Semi Final leg 2, Home We came into this after a 1-1 draw in the away leg, giving us a slight advantage. It took a herculean effort from Henderson last time, and I couldn't count on that again. Indeed, Bolton scored in 12 minutes, and Klukowski went off injured. The game went back and forth from there, but a late first half free from Glover into the box saw Heinonen head home an equaliser. Vilerush had a good chance when played through by Palma in the opening minutes of the second half, but hit it straight to the keeper. Glover then missed an open goal in the 53rd. Freddie Adu was carving us up but missed several shots. A pass from Palma in the 70th again put Vilerush though, but he failed to get around the keeper. Glover had a late chance when Heinonen headed him past the defence, but his shot was tipped over. Bolton counter-attacked from the corner, and scored eight seconds into second half injury time. Heinonen's last-minute shot went over, and we were knocked out of the League Cup. Klukowski was put out for more than a month with a sprained ankle. Aston Villa, FA Cup 4th round, Away Being knocked out of both cups within a week would be frustrating, but at least it would be at the hands of Premiership clubs. Aston Villa scored in the 24th. Anthony Grant was a machine in Klukowski's role in the middle, but Aston Villa had so much of the play that we couldn't really get many chances. However, with 15 minutes to go, Koopman hooked in a corner and Glover rose to head in an equaliser – ending a 10-hour barren period. A combination of good keeping and poor finishing kept Villa to one goal, so a home replay was earned. Another day, another few signings. Pascal Mohammed [sT, ENG – 1 U21 cap, 179cm, 23] – 0, 0, 0 A fairly average striker, who spent a few years at QPR with minimal impact. He may get a go if he shows good form in the reserves. Rory Smyth [D RL, ENG – 1 U21 cap, 179cm, 19] – 0, 0, 0 Very much a long-term prospect, and not much of one at that, Smyth came through Newcastle's youth system. Craig Green [D RLC, SCO – 8 U21 caps, 182cm, 22] – 0, 0, 0 Signed as much for his versatility as anything else, Green is the only one of these signings to attract a fee - ₤70K from Norwich. He's a bit of a journeyman, starting at Charlton and moving to Watford and Norwich with several loan spells in between, but has spent his career at League One and above. Leyton Orient, League One, Away Paul Hayes made his début on the right wing. Orient took the lead in nine minutes. In the 43rd, Aleksandrov and Hayes exchanged passes on the right of the area before the latter finally got through a wall of defenders to strike home a goal on début. Nothing like having two new signings combine to give us a goal. Orient had a goal ruled out in injury time, but their goal in the 58th counted. Glover got one-on-one with the keeper – former Rushden player Alex Bryant – a few minutes later, but his effort was saved. Wilson put another well wide. A late Aleksandrov shot also missed, leaving us 1-2 losers. Incidentally, I noticed a new “Board Confidence” message at the end of the month – “The Rushden board are delighted to have such a legendary manager employed at the club.” Aww.... I daresay they must be remembering the feats from my previous story, because we are yet to reach any real heights this time around. Still, we did make nearly ₤8M profit last month alone, which I guess would impress the suits a bit... | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Huddersfield | | 31 | 17 | 5 | 9 | 47 | 37 | +10 | 56 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Gillingham | | 31 | 14 | 13 | 4 | 37 | 20 | +17 | 55 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Lincoln | | 31 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 33 | 20 | +13 | 53 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Coventry | | 31 | 15 | 7 | 9 | 45 | 33 | +12 | 52 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Portsmouth | | 30 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 45 | 38 | +7 | 51 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Rushden | | 30 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 39 | 31 | +8 | 48 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Millwall | | 31 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 41 | 34 | +7 | 48 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Preston | | 31 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 42 | 38 | +4 | 48 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Barnet | | 31 | 11 | 14 | 6 | 31 | 22 | +9 | 47 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Northampton | | 31 | 14 | 4 | 13 | 46 | 46 | 0 | 46 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Swansea | | 31 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 45 | 39 | +6 | 45 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Mansfield | | 31 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 27 | 35 | -8 | 45 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | MK Dons | | 31 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 37 | 33 | +4 | 43 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Hartlepool | | 31 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 38 | 37 | +1 | 42 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Leyton Orient | | 31 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 40 | 44 | -4 | 40 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Nottm Forest | | 31 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 37 | 41 | -4 | 40 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Blackpool | | 31 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 34 | 36 | -2 | 38 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Crewe | | 31 | 8 | 13 | 10 | 31 | 36 | -5 | 37 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Colchester | | 31 | 7 | 15 | 9 | 33 | 37 | -4 | 36 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Bristol Rovers | | 31 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 27 | 31 | -4 | 32 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Walsall | | 31 | 4 | 17 | 10 | 27 | 35 | -8 | 29 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Wrexham | | 31 | 6 | 7 | 18 | 21 | 35 | -14 | 25 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Sheff Utd | | 31 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 38 | 58 | -20 | 23 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | | Chesterfield | | 31 | 4 | 8 | 19 | 22 | 47 | -25 | 20 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 February, 2015 Aston Villa, FA Cup 4th round replay, Home Defender Laurence Nelson made his début at right back and Jimmy Phillips returned in this big game. Villa had a goal ruled out in just four minutes. Glover was fouled in the area, and put through the penalty himself for a 18th minute lead. Villa equalised in the 40th in a mad scramble , but Zakrzewski crossed to Glover to put us back ahead three minutes later. Henderson made a fantastic save early in the second half, but we still had to hold out for 40 more minutes. Glover missed the chance for a hat-trick when he got one-on-one with the keeper, but was unable to round him. Rushden had a few minutes of dominance, and took advantage through a fine run and goal from Phillips. We had a two-goal break, but Villa halved that in the 68th. Villa had half a dozen corners in the final minutes, but time and again Henderson, Koopman and others in the back half joined forces to keep them out. Not only did we get a record of ₤325K gate receipts, we progressed to a very winnable fifth round encounter with Lincoln. Gillingham, League One, Away Scott Gallacher had a rare run in goal and conceded within two minutes. Moments after the kick-off, it was 0-2. Another kick-off, another goal. 0-3 in five minutes. They slowed down a bit after that, and only lead 0-5 at half time. Vilerush actually got a consolation goal and Mike Tobin came off the bench to score in his first game of the season. Still, 2-5 was an awful result. Suffice to say, that will be Gallacher's last game for a while. He was dropped to the reserves, along with Graham Hart, Aaron Morgan and Laurence Nelson. Coming up were Adam Hett, who scored five goals in the last reserve game, midfielder Matt Sparrow and defender Rasmus Dudek. Lincoln, FA Cup 5th round, Away Having held our own against Premier Division clubs in recent times, I had high hopes we could do well against a fellow League One club. Zakrzewski, Klukowski and Markovic were missing through injury, and naturally Gallacher was dumped. After a few early saves from Henderson, an audacious 30-yard shot from Vilerush just flicked the top of the bar. Hett missed a good chance and a goal to Fernández was ruled out after an alleged foul from Wilson. That was neatly turned around with a goal to Lincoln disallowed just moments into the second half. Hett missed an open goal and was replaced by Glover, who hit the post with a free in the 60th. Vilerush finally broke the deadlock in the 62nd, only to see Lincoln equalise in 90 seconds. A Vilerush shot was cleared off the line moments later. Just as it looked like the game was heading for a draw, a harsh penalty was awarded against Zutautas with a minute to go. The Lincoln striker stepped up...and hit it straight to Henderson. We should have won – Vilerush had 10 shots alone – but a home replay is not the worst result. Hartlepool, League One, Home Fernández had a goal ruled out for the second game in a row. Vilerush missed a good chance in the 61st and again we drew a game we should have won. The news I had been dreading came mid-week – Wayne Henderson had suffered a shoulder injury and would be out for a month. Fresh off letting through five goals, Scott Gallacher returned to the seniors. Walsall, League One, Away Hett had a open goal early, and not only missed it, somehow volleyed the ball sideways so that it went out for a throw. As if that wasn't bad enough, key defender Levi Koopman went off injured. Rasmus Dudek came on for his first senior game. Hett was replaced in just 25 minutes, but after numerous chances we went a goal down thanks to a dubious penalty late in the half. An awful backpass from Grant gifted them another goal early in the second. A dismal result against a relegation contender. Our fifth straight league game without a win, and Koopman out for the rest of the season with a muscle tear. Lincoln, FA Cup 5th round replay, Home This was poor timing, with our top keeper out and the side in dismal form. Vilerush put a chance over the bar while Gallacher made a few saves at the other end. Vilerush scored in the 37th. Lincoln equalised in the 57th and only a brilliant Gallacher save kept out a free in the 68th. Vilerush went off injured late, but a scramble in the area saw a 75th minute restoration of Rushden's lead. Six minutes later, Lincon had another equaliser. The game went to extra time, and Lincoln scored in just four minutes. An attempt at an equaliser only saw a fourth goal to Lincoln, ensuring our exit from the Cup. Paul Hayes, a half-time substitute, publicly apologised for giving away the second goal to Lincoln. Preston, League One, Home Lars Roland and Ben Gill came up to our injury-ravaged side. Glover and Gill came close to first half goals Gill missed a sitter in the 40th and Preston scored from a rare chance with 30 minutes to go. Four shots to twelve. One goal to none. What can I say? Dismal in the league, out of the Cup, injuries everywhere. From promotion contenders to the mid-table. | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Huddersfield | | 36 | 21 | 5 | 10 | 57 | 44 | +13 | 68 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Gillingham | | 36 | 16 | 14 | 6 | 45 | 29 | +16 | 62 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Coventry | | 36 | 17 | 9 | 10 | 53 | 40 | +13 | 60 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Lincoln | | 35 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 34 | 22 | +12 | 58 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Portsmouth | | 34 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 51 | 43 | +8 | 56 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Millwall | | 36 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 47 | 41 | +6 | 53 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Preston | | 36 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 45 | 42 | +3 | 53 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Barnet | | 36 | 12 | 16 | 8 | 35 | 28 | +7 | 52 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Northampton | | 36 | 16 | 4 | 16 | 53 | 54 | -1 | 52 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Swansea | | 36 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 50 | 48 | +2 | 51 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Hartlepool | | 35 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 45 | 39 | +6 | 50 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Rushden | | 34 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 41 | 39 | +2 | 49 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Leyton Orient | | 36 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 45 | 48 | -3 | 48 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Nottm Forest | | 36 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 42 | 45 | -3 | 48 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Mansfield | | 36 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 30 | 42 | -12 | 48 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | MK Dons | | 35 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 38 | 37 | +1 | 45 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Colchester | | 35 | 9 | 16 | 10 | 41 | 40 | +1 | 43 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Blackpool | | 36 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 40 | 42 | -2 | 43 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Crewe | | 36 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 36 | 41 | -5 | 43 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Bristol Rovers | | 36 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 32 | 36 | -4 | 39 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Walsall | | 36 | 6 | 19 | 11 | 31 | 37 | -6 | 37 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Wrexham | | 36 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 25 | 37 | -12 | 35 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Sheff Utd | | 36 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 44 | 62 | -18 | 33 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | | Chesterfield | | 36 | 6 | 10 | 20 | 28 | 52 | -24 | 28 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 March, 2015 Colchester, League One, Home Fernández forced a couple of saves before Lars Roland finally scored in the 34th. He added a ripper from outside the area less than a minute later. He's missed several months this season through injury, and we really could have used him in the last couple of months. Colchester had many chances and scored in the 64th. Mike Tobin scored a rare goal to seal it. A much-needed change of fortune. Northampton, League One, Away Northampton missed a number of frees but eventually scored in the second half. A second late in the game saw another Rushden loss. The worst thing is that defenders Wilson and Dudek had brilliant games. Portsmouth, League One, Home This was an even, scoreless game highlighted by a Man of the Match performance from Gallacher. Crewe, League One, Home Vilerush returned from injury and was heavily involved in the opening minutes. Roland had a few shots saved Murray and Vilerush were also denied by the keeper in the second half before the latter finally scored with 21 minutes left. Phillips added a late second. A comfortable win, soured by the loss of Roland to yet another injury. Barnet, League One, Away Graham Hart, fresh off a five-goal haul in the reserves, came up to replace Roland. Glover partnered him, with Vilerush on international duty. After a few good games, Gallacher conceded in the 11th. Heinonen was given a straight red card for a two-footed tackle and a late penalty to Barnet made it 0-2. Aleksandrov scored in the 75th to give us a slim chance, but we just couldn't do it. Sheffield United, League One, Home Despite our terrible recent run, we were just outside the playoff spots, and had the chance to move up against a relegation contender. Speaking of terrible runs, Hart finally broke his with a 9th minute goal. Glover made it 2-0 moments later on the counter-attack. and great work at the back from Zutautas set him up to score again before half time – only to have it ruled out. Dudek got our third later in the game anyway. The 3-0 win moved us up to 7th spot. I don't honestly expect or even really want promotion, but naturally the highest possible finish is preferable. A few players should he back from injury in Aprl, so there's no reason why we can't go out with a few wins. I was named runner-up as Manager of the Month. Striker Nathan Joynes was released by mutual consent. I've re-signed pretty much all my staff and younger players Paris Cowan-Hall and Mike Tobin. However, we are set to lose a lot of senior players. I've arranged a number of purchases for the end of the season which should cover them. Indeed, there will already be a large influx of players when the window opens, so promotion would probably not be a good thing, as it would give them little chance to settle in. | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Huddersfield | | 40 | 23 | 6 | 11 | 62 | 47 | +15 | 75 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Gillingham | | 40 | 18 | 16 | 6 | 49 | 31 | +18 | 70 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Coventry | | 40 | 19 | 11 | 10 | 58 | 43 | +15 | 68 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Portsmouth | | 40 | 18 | 10 | 12 | 57 | 49 | +8 | 64 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Lincoln | | 40 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 37 | 27 | +10 | 63 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Preston | | 40 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 52 | 45 | +7 | 63 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Rushden | | 40 | 17 | 8 | 15 | 50 | 44 | +6 | 59 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Millwall | | 40 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 52 | 45 | +7 | 58 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Leyton Orient | | 40 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 55 | 52 | +3 | 57 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Barnet | | 40 | 13 | 17 | 10 | 37 | 31 | +6 | 56 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Swansea | | 40 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 54 | 51 | +3 | 56 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Hartlepool | | 40 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 51 | 49 | +2 | 56 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Northampton | | 40 | 17 | 4 | 19 | 55 | 59 | -4 | 55 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Nottm Forest | | 40 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 45 | 48 | -3 | 53 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | MK Dons | | 40 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 42 | 41 | +1 | 52 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Mansfield | | 40 | 14 | 10 | 16 | 36 | 50 | -14 | 52 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Blackpool | | 40 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 45 | 46 | -1 | 50 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Crewe | | 40 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 41 | 49 | -8 | 47 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Colchester | | 40 | 9 | 18 | 13 | 46 | 49 | -3 | 45 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Bristol Rovers | | 40 | 9 | 16 | 15 | 35 | 39 | -4 | 43 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Walsall | | 40 | 7 | 21 | 12 | 33 | 38 | -5 | 42 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Wrexham | | 40 | 9 | 10 | 21 | 26 | 41 | -15 | 37 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Sheff Utd | | 40 | 9 | 10 | 21 | 46 | 67 | -21 | 37 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | | Chesterfield | | 40 | 8 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 55 | -23 | 35 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 April, 2015 Nottingham Forest, League One, Away Wayne Henderson finally returned to the senior side, though at least Gallacher wasn't as terrible as he looked early in the season. Hart scored in the 31st and Aleksandrov made it 2-0 only a couple of minutes later. A wonderful game from Henderson and the rest of the defence – Grant, Lomax, Wilson and Dudek – gave us a 2-0 win. Bristol Rovers, League One, Home Since this was a mid-week game, a number of senior players had to be rested. There were plenty of opportunities for both sides to score in the first half, but neither did. A penalty seconds into the second half saw Ben Gill of all people put us ahead. With Koopman injured, Grant playing at right back and Heinonen suspended, he's been playing as the defensive midfielder, and has done well. A late goal to Vilerush was disallowed, but Zutautas made it 2-0 anyway. Vilerush added a third to seal it. That was our third straight win, and with four games to go, we sit just inside the playoff area. Millwall, League One, Away Henderson made a few good saves, then ruined anything by coming out of his area for a weak clearance, which saw Millwall score from almost mid-pitch. Millwall scored again before the end of the game, and our brief winning streak was ended. Coventry, League One, Home Yan Klukowski finally returned to the side and capped off his return with a fine goal – the only one of the game. Wrexham, League One, Away Having just returned from injury, Klukowski had to be rested for this game. However, another player returned, defender Robert Markovic. Our relegation-threatened opponents scored through a penalty in the 23rd and we finished with a poor 0-1 loss. That pretty much ends our chances of promotion – we are three points off with one game to go. I re-signed Lars Roland at his demand for increased wages, managing to extend the term until 2017. Lincoln, League One, Home Our defence was suddenly hit by injury, with Dudek, Grant and Wilson joining Koopman on the sideline. Aaron Morgan was brought up to fill a gap, and his pass set up a move which saw Vilerush score in the 4th. Lincoln scored twice within a few more minutes to leave us a goal down at the break. Vilerush brought us level with 20 minutes to go, but even a win wouldn't have taken us up to 6th. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 The season in review Summary 8th in English League One | Pkd | Inf | Name | Apps | Gls | Ast | MoM | Pas | Tck | Drb | Sh T | Av Rat| | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Glenn Wilson | 42 (2)| - | 1 | 2 | 66% | 3.49 | 0.23 | - | 7.07 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | GK | Inj | Wayne Henderson | 42 (1)| - | - | 3 | 53% | - | - | - | 7.00 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Anthony Grant | 39 (2)| - | 2 | - | 70% | 3.04 | 0.30 | 38% | 7.02 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | | Juho Heinonen | 38 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 73% | 3.12 | 0.35 | 44% | 7.18 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Levi Koopman | 36 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 67% | 2.90 | 0.28 | 23% | 7.25 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Yan Klukowski | 36 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 64% | 2.48 | 1.32 | 36% | 7.50 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DR | Unh | Kelvin Lomax | 35 (3)| 2 | 6 | 1 | 68% | 2.99 | 0.35 | 33% | 7.11 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | Unh | Graham Hart | 34 (2)| 11 | 7 | 2 | 71% | 0.14 | 1.51 | 48% | 7.00 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S4 | Wnt | Danny Glover | 30 (5)| 12 | 7 | 2 | 71% | 0.23 | 1.80 | 46% | 6.97 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MC | Unh | Thierry Palma | 28 (6)| 3 | 4 | 2 | 73% | 2.00 | 0.78 | 44% | 7.03 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | Slt | Vitalijs Vilerush | 27 (2)| 12 | 3 | 5 | 68% | 0.29 | 1.79 | 50% | 7.03 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | ML | Bid | Kestutis Zutautas | 26 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 73% | 2.65 | 1.15 | - | 7.23 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Marcin Zakrzewski | 25 (2)| 2 | 7 | 2 | 69% | 1.63 | 1.78 | 33% | 7.30 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Lars Roland | 24 (1)| 12 | 5 | 1 | 69% | 0.37 | 1.59 | 57% | 7.20 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S2 | | Stephen Murray | 23 | - | 4 | - | 70% | 1.34 | 1.65 | 36% | 6.96 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Scott Gallacher | 22 | - | - | 1 | 46% | 0.04 | - | - | 6.73 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S1 | Wnt | Jimmy Phillips | 21 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 60% | 1.72 | 1.08 | 36% | 7.10 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | Unh | Aaron Morgan | 20 | 1 | - | - | 63% | 3.83 | 0.05 | - | 6.85 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MR | Inj | Josué Fernández | 18 | 1 | 1 | - | 67% | 2.73 | 1.34 | 53% | 6.83 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Rasmus Dudek | 13 (1)| 1 | - | - | 67% | 3.27 | 0.07 | - | 7.29 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DL | Bid | Robert Markovic | 13 | - | - | - | 77% | 3.48 | 0.40 | - | 7.00 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Matt Sparrow | 10 (2)| - | - | - | 67% | 2.15 | 1.74 | - | 6.67 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DMC | Wnt | Ben Gill | 10 | 1 | - | 1 | 75% | 2.68 | 0.41 | 54% | 7.10 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | John Middleton | 8 | - | - | - | 61% | 3.00 | 0.38 | - | 6.63 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Adam Hett | 6 | 2 | - | - | 77% | 0.52 | 0.78 | 20% | 6.50 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S3 | Wnt | Ivaylo Aleksandrov | 5 (3) | 2 | 2 | - | 81% | 0.32 | 1.46 | 34% | 6.50 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Anne Esser | 3 (5) | - | 1 | - | 64% | 1.50 | 1.07 | - | 6.63 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Paris Cowan-Hall | 3 | - | - | - | 67% | 0.77 | 1.15 | - | 7.00 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Mike Tobin | 2 (4) | 2 | 1 | - | 75% | - | 0.65 | - | 6.67 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S5 | | Paul Hayes | 2 (3) | 1 | - | - | 71% | 0.30 | 2.70 | - | 6.20 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Laurence Nelson | 2 | - | - | - | 69% | 3.00 | - | - | 6.50 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | C | Huddersfield | | 46 | 26 | 7 | 13 | 72 | 54 | +18 | 85 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | P | Gillingham | | 46 | 21 | 18 | 7 | 57 | 37 | +20 | 81 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Coventry | | 46 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 64 | 50 | +14 | 76 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | P | Portsmouth | | 46 | 21 | 11 | 14 | 66 | 55 | +11 | 74 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Leyton Orient | | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 66 | 55 | +11 | 72 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Preston | | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 56 | 51 | +5 | 72 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Lincoln | | 46 | 17 | 18 | 11 | 43 | 33 | +10 | 69 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Rushden | | 46 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 58 | 49 | +9 | 69 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Millwall | | 46 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 60 | 51 | +9 | 67 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Hartlepool | | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 61 | 57 | +4 | 66 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | MK Dons | | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 56 | 48 | +8 | 65 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Barnet | | 46 | 14 | 19 | 13 | 42 | 40 | +2 | 61 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Blackpool | | 46 | 14 | 18 | 14 | 55 | 50 | +5 | 60 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Nottm Forest | | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 49 | 57 | -8 | 60 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Swansea | | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 57 | 59 | -2 | 59 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Northampton | | 46 | 18 | 5 | 23 | 61 | 71 | -10 | 59 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Colchester | | 46 | 12 | 19 | 15 | 57 | 57 | 0 | 55 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Mansfield | | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 40 | 64 | -24 | 54 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Walsall | | 46 | 10 | 21 | 15 | 45 | 48 | -3 | 51 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Crewe | | 46 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 48 | 59 | -11 | 51 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | R | Bristol Rovers | | 46 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 40 | 47 | -7 | 50 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | R | Sheff Utd | | 46 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 57 | 79 | -22 | 47 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | R | Wrexham | | 46 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 30 | 45 | -15 | 44 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | R | Chesterfield | | 46 | 10 | 12 | 24 | 41 | 65 | -24 | 42 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| I suppose we did finish in the top half, bettering the expectations of fans, media and the board. Our cup performance was also as good as it has been in a while. However, that is tempered by the fact that we still failed to come away with any silverware, and finished 8th with what should have been a stronger squad than the one which won the title a couple of years ago. Though we did have four players to get double-figure goal tallies, we never really had a consistent striker. In other areas, we did quite well. Despite selling a large number of quality defenders, we still had a solid back four, even with injuries. Keeping Anthony Grant all season despite his lack of a binding contract was an unexpected bonus, and definitely helped in this regard. Klukowski was once again superb in the midfield. The reserves won the league for the fourth straight season, with 30 wins and a goal difference of over 100. Adam Hett, James McCraw and Mike Tobin were big scorers, while Cowan-Hall and young Sherwood controlled the midfield. Around the world: major awards and results Rushden Supporters’ Player of the Year: Juho Heinonen World Player of the Year: Rafael Sobis (Chelsea) World Footballer of the year: Rafael Sobis (Chelsea) England: Winner: Liverpool Relegated: Leicester, Charlton, Crystal Palace Promoted: Hull, West Brom, Cardiff Spain: Real Madrid Italy Inter Champions Cup: Arsenal EURO Cup: Zaragoza Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 The season in review Summary 8th in English League One | Pkd | Inf | Name | Apps | Gls | Ast | MoM | Pas | Tck | Drb | Sh T | Av Rat| | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Glenn Wilson | 42 (2)| - | 1 | 2 | 66% | 3.49 | 0.23 | - | 7.07 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | GK | Inj | Wayne Henderson | 42 (1)| - | - | 3 | 53% | - | - | - | 7.00 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Anthony Grant | 39 (2)| - | 2 | - | 70% | 3.04 | 0.30 | 38% | 7.02 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | | Juho Heinonen | 38 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 73% | 3.12 | 0.35 | 44% | 7.18 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Levi Koopman | 36 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 67% | 2.90 | 0.28 | 23% | 7.25 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Yan Klukowski | 36 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 64% | 2.48 | 1.32 | 36% | 7.50 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DR | Unh | Kelvin Lomax | 35 (3)| 2 | 6 | 1 | 68% | 2.99 | 0.35 | 33% | 7.11 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | Unh | Graham Hart | 34 (2)| 11 | 7 | 2 | 71% | 0.14 | 1.51 | 48% | 7.00 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S4 | Wnt | Danny Glover | 30 (5)| 12 | 7 | 2 | 71% | 0.23 | 1.80 | 46% | 6.97 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MC | Unh | Thierry Palma | 28 (6)| 3 | 4 | 2 | 73% | 2.00 | 0.78 | 44% | 7.03 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | Slt | Vitalijs Vilerush | 27 (2)| 12 | 3 | 5 | 68% | 0.29 | 1.79 | 50% | 7.03 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | ML | Bid | Kestutis Zutautas | 26 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 73% | 2.65 | 1.15 | - | 7.23 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Marcin Zakrzewski | 25 (2)| 2 | 7 | 2 | 69% | 1.63 | 1.78 | 33% | 7.30 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Lars Roland | 24 (1)| 12 | 5 | 1 | 69% | 0.37 | 1.59 | 57% | 7.20 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S2 | | Stephen Murray | 23 | - | 4 | - | 70% | 1.34 | 1.65 | 36% | 6.96 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Scott Gallacher | 22 | - | - | 1 | 46% | 0.04 | - | - | 6.73 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S1 | Wnt | Jimmy Phillips | 21 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 60% | 1.72 | 1.08 | 36% | 7.10 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | Unh | Aaron Morgan | 20 | 1 | - | - | 63% | 3.83 | 0.05 | - | 6.85 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MR | Inj | Josué Fernández | 18 | 1 | 1 | - | 67% | 2.73 | 1.34 | 53% | 6.83 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Rasmus Dudek | 13 (1)| 1 | - | - | 67% | 3.27 | 0.07 | - | 7.29 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DL | Bid | Robert Markovic | 13 | - | - | - | 77% | 3.48 | 0.40 | - | 7.00 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Matt Sparrow | 10 (2)| - | - | - | 67% | 2.15 | 1.74 | - | 6.67 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DMC | Wnt | Ben Gill | 10 | 1 | - | 1 | 75% | 2.68 | 0.41 | 54% | 7.10 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | John Middleton | 8 | - | - | - | 61% | 3.00 | 0.38 | - | 6.63 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Adam Hett | 6 | 2 | - | - | 77% | 0.52 | 0.78 | 20% | 6.50 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S3 | Wnt | Ivaylo Aleksandrov | 5 (3) | 2 | 2 | - | 81% | 0.32 | 1.46 | 34% | 6.50 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Anne Esser | 3 (5) | - | 1 | - | 64% | 1.50 | 1.07 | - | 6.63 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Paris Cowan-Hall | 3 | - | - | - | 67% | 0.77 | 1.15 | - | 7.00 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Mike Tobin | 2 (4) | 2 | 1 | - | 75% | - | 0.65 | - | 6.67 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S5 | | Paul Hayes | 2 (3) | 1 | - | - | 71% | 0.30 | 2.70 | - | 6.20 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Laurence Nelson | 2 | - | - | - | 69% | 3.00 | - | - | 6.50 | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | C | Huddersfield | | 46 | 26 | 7 | 13 | 72 | 54 | +18 | 85 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | P | Gillingham | | 46 | 21 | 18 | 7 | 57 | 37 | +20 | 81 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Coventry | | 46 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 64 | 50 | +14 | 76 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | P | Portsmouth | | 46 | 21 | 11 | 14 | 66 | 55 | +11 | 74 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Leyton Orient | | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 66 | 55 | +11 | 72 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Preston | | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 56 | 51 | +5 | 72 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Lincoln | | 46 | 17 | 18 | 11 | 43 | 33 | +10 | 69 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Rushden | | 46 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 58 | 49 | +9 | 69 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Millwall | | 46 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 60 | 51 | +9 | 67 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Hartlepool | | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 61 | 57 | +4 | 66 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | MK Dons | | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 56 | 48 | +8 | 65 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Barnet | | 46 | 14 | 19 | 13 | 42 | 40 | +2 | 61 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Blackpool | | 46 | 14 | 18 | 14 | 55 | 50 | +5 | 60 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Nottm Forest | | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 49 | 57 | -8 | 60 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Swansea | | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 57 | 59 | -2 | 59 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Northampton | | 46 | 18 | 5 | 23 | 61 | 71 | -10 | 59 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Colchester | | 46 | 12 | 19 | 15 | 57 | 57 | 0 | 55 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Mansfield | | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 40 | 64 | -24 | 54 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Walsall | | 46 | 10 | 21 | 15 | 45 | 48 | -3 | 51 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Crewe | | 46 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 48 | 59 | -11 | 51 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | R | Bristol Rovers | | 46 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 40 | 47 | -7 | 50 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | R | Sheff Utd | | 46 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 57 | 79 | -22 | 47 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | R | Wrexham | | 46 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 30 | 45 | -15 | 44 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | R | Chesterfield | | 46 | 10 | 12 | 24 | 41 | 65 | -24 | 42 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| I suppose we did finish in the top half, bettering the expectations of fans, media and the board. Our cup performance was also as good as it has been in a while. However, that is tempered by the fact that we still failed to come away with any silverware, and finished 8th with what should have been a stronger squad than the one which won the title a couple of years ago. Though we did have four players to get double-figure goal tallies, we never really had a consistent striker. In other areas, we did quite well. Despite selling a large number of quality defenders, we still had a solid back four, even with injuries. Keeping Anthony Grant all season despite his lack of a binding contract was an unexpected bonus, and definitely helped in this regard. Klukowski was once again superb in the midfield. The reserves won the league for the fourth straight season, with 30 wins and a goal difference of over 100. Adam Hett, James McCraw and Mike Tobin were big scorers, while Cowan-Hall and young Sherwood controlled the midfield. Around the world: major awards and results Rushden Supporters’ Player of the Year: Juho Heinonen World Player of the Year: Rafael Sobis (Chelsea) World Footballer of the year: Rafael Sobis (Chelsea) England: Winner: Liverpool Relegated: Leicester, Charlton, Crystal Palace Promoted: Hull, West Brom, Cardiff Spain: Real Madrid Italy Inter Champions Cup: Arsenal EURO Cup: Zaragoza Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 The Transfers Players In | Date | Person | From | Fee | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2014 | Joynes, Nathan | Inverness CT | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2014 | Sparrow, Matt | Nottm Forest | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11.7.2014 | Murray, Stephen | Blackpool | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8.8.2014 | Zakrzewski, Marcin | Viking | £325K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 28.8.2014 | Heinonen, Juho | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 28.8.2014 | Markovic, Robert | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 28.8.2014 | Dudek, Rasmus | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 28.8.2014 | Johansson, Stefan | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.1.2015 | Sherwood, Adam | Aberdeen | £35K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.1.2015 | Fernández, Josué | St. Johnstone | £250K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16.1.2015 | Hayes, Paul | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17.1.2015 | Aleksandrov, Ivaylo| St. Mirren | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21.1.2015 | Nelson, Laurence | PanSa FC | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22.1.2015 | Mohammed, Pascal | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22.1.2015 | Smyth, Rory | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 25.1.2015 | Green, Craig | Norwich | £70K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | Total | | £675K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Players Out | Date | Person | To | Fee | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2014 | Kean, Robert | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2014 | Clapham, Andy | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2014 | Gundelach, Craig | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2014 | Chamberlain, Ryan | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2014 | Kay, Ian | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2014 | Hansen, Kent | Deportivo | £2.5M | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2014 | Hallfreðsson, Emil | Aberdeen | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2014 | Jenes, Beno | St. Mirren | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2014 | Kewell, Harry | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2014 | Reynolds, Callum | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2014 | Bryant, Alex | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2014 | Ashton, Jon | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2014 | Callaghan, Barry | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12.7.2014 | Guichard, François | Liverpool | £2.5M | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24.7.2014 | Brooker, Andy | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24.7.2014 | Bolt, Alex | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 25.7.2014 | Greenwood, David | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 25.7.2014 | Tomlin, Lee | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 25.7.2014 | Beech, Aaron | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 25.7.2014 | Artus, Frankie | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 29.7.2014 | Owen, Casey | Middlesbrough | £1.9M | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9.1.2015 | Petre, Constantin | Deportivo | £2M | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11.1.2015 | Makhanya, Andrew | Man Utd | £5.75M | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13.1.2015 | Bradshaw, Eamonn | Hibernian | £2.5M | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.4.2015 | Joynes, Nathan | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | Total | | £17.25M | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Youth In | Date | Person | To | Fee | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2014 | Cowie, Murray | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2014 | Slater, Justin | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2014 | Heath, Adam | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2014 | Champion, Grégory | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2014 | Davis, Ross | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2014 | Foxe, Sam | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | Total | | £0 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| There were certainly a stack of moves, though it doesn't begin to compare with what's going to happen over the pre-season. Naturally, with so many, the results were mixed. Firstly, there's no doubt we made a hell of a profit, with ₤17.25M for the sales. Those sold managed to play immediately at a higher level club, which suggests they were worth the money we got for them, but it would have been overkill to have such good players at League One level. Of those let go without compensation, Bryant and Artus were regulars at League One level, but I didn't really regret letting them go. The players in were very mixed. Joynes was released early and Sparrow and Aleksandrov were disappointing. Some, like Murray and Fernández, simply did their jobs, no more, no less. The most promising players are Dudek, who broke into the seniors late in the season, and Sherwood, who dominated the reserves at the age of 17. Poor Notts County benefited little from the loans of Lambley, Farley and Johansson. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 Pre-season, 2015/2016 Okay, this was a rather busy time, so there's a lot to cover. Firstly, let's deal with the players on the way out. The biggest blow was the loss of Klukowski, who chose to join West Brom rather than re-sign with Rushden. They'd just been promoted to the Premier Division, so I suppose that wasn't a surprise. Another blow was Kestutis Zutautas joining Villareal. Anthony Grant finally was snapped up by another side, Sheffield United and Jimmy Phillips joined Aberdeen. I immediately released Lawrence Lambley, Adam Hett and a few youth team players. I had to think a bit harder about some others. I nearly held on to Graham Hart, because he really looks a quality player, but he just does not score consistently enough. Ben Gill was also released after a bit of thought. He did do well at the end of last season, but having played just over 60 games in 6 seasons, I thought it was time to move him on. Danny Glover was the hardest call, as he really looks a quality player, but I decided I had enough attacking players. Now for those in. The fans were excited by no less than five of them: Moussa, Foti, Gasparetto, Falix and Lomax. They will all be profiled below, along with the other five new arrivals. Yep, ten senior team signings. Four came for fees – Kelly for ₤150K, Lumsden for ₤120K, Lomax for ₤35K and Falix for ₤350K. I loaned out Steve Norbet, Adam Sherwood, John Porter and Steffan Johansson to Notts County. We won our first two friendlies, starting with a 2-0 win over Celtic. We also beat Barrow and Notts County, but lost to Sutton. Oddly, despite low expectations from media, board and fans, we were given odds of 2-1 for promotions. Annoyingly, we paid out over ₤6M in dividends. All my trouble of making so much money... The board have, however, allowed me to scout beyond the local regions, so I will have a look across Europe for our next star. AUSTRALIA vs NORTH KOREA, Asian Nations Cup, group A, Neutral Australia 1 (Stam 83 – pen) d. North Korea 0 AUSTRALIA vs INDONESIA, Asian Nations Cup, group A, Neutral Australia 2 (Sunasky 57; Burns 59) drew Indonesia 2 (41, 66) AUSTRALIA vs CHINA, Asian Nations Cup, group A, Neutral Australia 1 (Williams 71) drew China 1 (82) AUSTRALIA vs UZBEKISTAN, Asian Nations Cup, Quarter Final, Neutral Australia 0 lost to Uzbekistan 1 (24) Klukowski's profile follows: ================================================================================================ Yan Klukowski - Rushden Career 10/07/10 - 1/7/15 ================================================================================================ Year Apps Gls Asts Yel Red MoM Av R ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2010/2011 24 (2) 6 7 0 0 2 7.42 2011/2012 26 (4) 4 4 2 0 5 7.40 2012/2013 22 (5) 7 4 0 1 3 7.19 2013/2014 32 2 9 2 0 3 7.41 2014/2015 36 5 5 3 0 4 7.50 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTAL 140 (11) 24 29 7 1 17 7.39 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DOB: 6/5/87 Position: M C Nationality: English International Caps/Goals: 0/0 Total Career League Games: 215 Previous Clubs: Bath (9 games) Nairn County (80) Achievements: 01/03/11 - English League Two Player of the Month for February 03/04/11 - English Johnstone's Paint Trophy Runners Up 01/03/12 - English League One Player of the Month for February 05/05/12 - English League One champions 20/06/14 - Rushden Supporters' Player of the Year 13/14 01/01/15 - English League One Player of the Month for December Named in English League Two Team of the Week: 9 times Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 SEASON OVERVIEW 15/16 The Club Home Ground: Nene Park, Irthlingborough - capacity 13,363 (11, 563 seated) Rivals: Kettering, Northampton (fierce); Peterborough, Oxford, Luton Reputation: Regional Estimated Value: ₤6.5M Balance ₤27M Transfer Budget: ₤21.5M Media Prediction: 10th Board Expectation: Respectable league position Fan Expectation: Respectable league position Staff Chairman: Keith Cousins Assistant Manager: Lionel Letizi Coaches: Scott Gemmill, Kevin Horlock, Mehdi Nafti, Mark McLaughlin (General); Mark McGeown (GK); Liam Grieves (Youth) Physio: Eoin Jess Scouts: Andy McWilliam, Craig Graham, Scott Dunn The Squad | Pkd | Inf | Name | No. | Squad Status | Cnt | Weekly wage | Expires | Value | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | GK | Wnt | Wayne Henderson | 24 | Key Player | F/T | £2,700 | 30.6.2016 | £425K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Scott Gallacher | 27 | Rotation | F/T | £4,000 | 30.6.2017 | £26K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | John Porter | - | Youngster | F/T | £140 | 30.6.2016 | £4K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Alan Farley | - | Hot Prospect | F/T | £750 | 30.6.2018 | £5K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Steve Sheppard | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2016 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | Wnt | Chris Baird | 20 | First Team | F/T | £2,000 | 30.6.2017 | £18K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Kelvin Lomax | 13 | Backup | F/T | £650 | 30.6.2016 | £18K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | Yth | Glenn Wilson | 2 | Rotation | F/T | £1,300 | 30.6.2016 | £18K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DR | Slt | Laurence Nelson | 32 | Rotation | F/T | £1,700 | 30.6.2016 | £650K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Slt | Craig Green | 35 | Rotation | F/T | £2,900 | 30.6.2017 | £50K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S2 | Inj | Jon Lumsden | 19 | First Team | F/T | £2,500 | 30.6.2017 | £120K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Rory Smyth | - | Youngster | F/T | £220 | 30.6.2017 | £7K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Rasmus Dudek | 36 | Backup | F/T | £600 | 30.6.2017 | £95K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Bid | Paul Miskelly | 4 | Hot Prospect | F/T | £275 | 30.6.2017 | £120K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DL | Wnt | Robert Markovic | 18 | Rotation | F/T | £1,500 | 30.6.2018 | £725K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Aaron Morgan | 3 | Rotation | F/T | £1,600 | 30.6.2016 | £26K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DM | Unh | Levi Koopman | 34 | First Team | F/T | £1,600 | 30.6.2016 | £1.2M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S1 | | Juho Heinonen | 5 | Rotation | F/T | £2,000 | 30.6.2017 | £1.8M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | John Middleton | 14 | Backup | F/T | £500 | 30.6.2017 | £18K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Ahti Oja | - | Youngster | F/T | £425 | 30.6.2017 | £28K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Stefan Johansson | - | Hot Prospect | F/T | £250 | 30.6.2018 | £180K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Chris Austin | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2016 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Gary Downing | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2016 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Garry Denton | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2016 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Slt | Matt Sparrow | 6 | Backup | F/T | £2,500 | 30.6.2016 | £35K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MR | Int | Franck Moussa | 7 | First Team | F/T | £5,500 | 30.6.2017 | £2.2M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Bid | Josué Fernández | 28 | First Team | F/T | £2,700 | 30.6.2018 | £250K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Adam Sherwood | - | Backup | F/T | £650 | 30.6.2017 | £65K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Francesco Gasparetto | 22 | Rotation | F/T | £1,800 | 30.6.2016 | £400K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S4 | Unh | Paul Hayes | 31 | First Team | F/T | £2,400 | 30.6.2016 | £35K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Farid Wanzi | - | Youngster | F/T | £600 | 30.6.2019 | £20K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Slt | Stephen Murray | 29 | Rotation | F/T | £2,000 | 30.6.2016 | £26K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Paris Cowan-Hall | 17 | Backup | F/T | £400 | 30.6.2017 | £35K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S3 | | Danny McCoy | 11 | Key Player | F/T | £2,500 | 30.6.2017 | £230K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Anne Esser | 30 | Rotation | F/T | £1,400 | 30.6.2016 | £40K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | ML | Inj | Marcin Zakrzewski | 12 | First Team | F/T | £2,800 | 30.6.2018 | £1.6M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Thierry Palma | 26 | Rotation | F/T | £250 | 30.6.2017 | £50K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | | Salvatore Foti | 21 | Key Player | F/T | £6,250 | 30.6.2017 | £1.4M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S5 | Wnt | Lars Roland | 16 | First Team | F/T | £3,000 | 30.6.2018 | £625K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Murray Kelly | 15 | First Team | F/T | £725 | 30.6.2018 | £140K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Darren Wallace | - | Youngster | F/T | £65 | 30.6.2016 | £7K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Justin Lomax | - | Backup | F/T | £180 | 30.6.2018 | £35K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | AMC | Wnt | Gerrit Falix | 8 | Key Player | F/T | £5,750 | 30.6.2017 | £375K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Pascal Mohammed | 23 | Rotation | F/T | £1,300 | 30.6.2016 | £40K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Ivaylo Aleksandrov | 10 | Rotation | F/T | £5,500 | 30.6.2016 | £230K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Mike Tobin | - | Youngster | F/T | £525 | 30.6.2017 | £35K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | James McCraw | 33 | Hot Prospect | F/T | £250 | 30.6.2019 | £12K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Steeve Norbert | - | Backup | F/T | £130 | 30.6.2017 | £35K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | Slt | Vitalijs Vilerush | 25 | Rotation | F/T | £850 | 30.6.2016 | £1.7M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Mark Bath | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2016 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Wage Budget: £227,495 Total Weekly Wages at 30/7/15: £81,056 Senior Players: 27 Reserve Players: 21 U-18 Players: 13 [Note that players classed as Backup, Prospect or Youngster will not be profiled (with a few exceptions), and are regarded as reserve players] Player [Pos, Nationality, Height, Age] – Rushden Seasons, Rushden League Games, Rushden League Goals Goalkeepers Scott Gallacher [GK, SCO, 180cm, 25] – 2, 23, 0 Continued to be troublesome. Hit by injuries frequently and let through huge numbers of goals early in the season. He did do okay when Henderson was out injured, but he's definitely a backup. Wayne Henderson [GK, IRE – 2 caps, 180cm, 31] – 3, 83, 0 Looked okay last season, with 15 clean sheets in 29 league games. I hope he doesn't get injured again, because I'm much more comfortable with him in goal. Defenders Chris Baird [D RC, NIR – 48 caps, 186cm, 33] – 0, 0, 0 Much as I try to avoid older signings, I felt our defence could use the experience and strength of a veteran like Baird. He's spent his career in the Championship and League One with the likes of Southampton, Sunderland, Wolves and West Brom, and made last season's League One Select with Colchester. He's naturally strong defensively, and can also play as a defensive midfielder if required. Rasmus Dudek [D RC, DEN, 189cm, 20] – 1, 13, 1 A big man who is attracting attention from Coventry, Birmingham and Sunderland. Still looks very rare, and will start in the reserves despite his good form late last season. Craig Green [D RLC, SCO – 8 U21 caps, 182cm, 23] – 1, 0, 0 Signed in January for ₤70K, but failed to break into the seniors. It's about time he did. Juho Heinonen [D C/DM, FIN – 4 caps, 184cm, 20] – 1, 25, 0 Despite picking up two red cards, looked a good player last season. I was surprised to see him named Fans' Player of the Year, but he looks to have a solid future at Rushden. Rushden Supporters' Player of the Year 14/15 Levi Koopman [D C/DM, HOL, 180cm, 23] – 3, 91, 1 A bit of a troublemaker, demanding a move to a bigger club and fighting with Vilerush. The worst bit is that he is actually one of our best players, so I'm loath to let him go without good compensation – which I'm yet to be offered. English League One Players' Select 13/14 Kelvin Lomax [D RL, ENG, 181cm, 26] – 5, 72, 4 I'm glad I didn't release Lomax at the start of last season, as he was one of our best defenders. He was solid at the back and even came forward to set up a couple of goals with his corners and score with a few frees. However, he will face increased pressure for his spot. Jon Lumsden [D R, ENG, 181cm, 23] – 0, 0, 0 One of those players to provide increased pressure is Lumsden. He was a regular with Bristol City in the Championship and joins for ₤120K. He's very brave and a hard tackler. Robert Markovic [D L, AUT – 1 cap, 180cm, 22] – 1, 8, 0 Missed a lot of games through injury, but looked good enough when given the chance. John Middleton [D/WB R, SCO – Capped at U19 level, 183cm, 22] – 2, 4, 0 Made his senior début and got a handful of games under his belt. With the side to push for promotion, an attacking player like Middleton may be useful at the back. Paul Miskelly [D L, NIR – 3 U21 caps, 178cm, 19] – 2, 0, 0 Getting a lot of attention from mid-range sides like Preston and Sheffield United, but will stay around for the time being. Aaron Morgan [D C, ENG, 188cm, 25] – 4, 68, 1 Spent much of the season in the reserves, but still came up for 16 games when we were hit by injuries. Nowhere near as good as in 13/14, but solid. Laurence Nelson [D R, ASA – 17 Caps, 180cm, 24] – 1, 1, 0 Has come on slower than I'd like, though admittedly he is new to England. He will get more of a run this season. Glenn Wilson [D RC, WAL, 186cm, 29] – 9, 234, 4 Played 34 games last season, and still looks to be a key part of our defence. English Players' League Two Select 10/11; English Players' League One Select 11/12 Midfielders Paris Cowan-Hall [AM L, ENG, 180cm, 24] – 9, 59, 8 Still here, but now has hopefully accepted his role as backup. Anne Esser [AM LC, HOL, 183cm, 21] – 2, 10, 0 Looks a reasonably talented player on paper, but has not put the performances on the board in the seniors. Josué Fernández [AM R, ESP, 180cm, 21] – 1, 15, 1 Pretty solid in his first season at the club, though I don't think he's repaid his ₤250K price tag yet. We're much weaker on the right wing than the left, so he has an important role to play. Francesco Gasparetto [AM RLC/F C, ITA, 178cm, 28] – 0, 0, 0 The problem with not being able to scout internationally is that you can occasionally wind up with a signing who is nowhere near as good as you thought. Gasparetto, from Crotone, has pace but very little else. Thankfully he's only signed for one year, so I should be able to get rid of him quickly. Paul Hayes [AM RL/ST, ENG, 183cm, 31] – 1, 3, 1 Definitely a disappointment, playing just three games after being signed from Gretna. He looks a reasonably skilful player, but has just not made a spot his own. Murray Kelly [AM C, SCO – 1 U21 cap, 175cm, 20] – 0, 0, 0 A signing I am quite happy with, Kelly is on low wages but is a real playmaker and has good pace. He doesn't have much senior experience, so will probably start on the reserves, but I think the ₤150K fee from Bristol City will prove a bargain. Danny McCoy [AM L, WAL, 181cm, 24] – 0, 0, 0 I probably have too many left wingers already, but couldn't resist picking up McCoy from Fulham. He did okay at this level on loan to Millwall in 13/14, and has exceptional crossing and ball control skills. Franck Moussa [AM RC, AUS – 10 caps, 177cm, 27] – 0, 0, 0 Ah, another step on my path to making Rushden an Australian outpost! Well, Moussa is actually a quality player, and was in fine form for St. Mirren last season. He's a well-rounded player with great goal sense. Stephen Murray [AM L, SCO, 163cm, 32] – 1, 20, 0 Was solid rather than spectacular in his first Rushden season, and faces plenty of competition. He's a very hard worker and should get a run, but will have to fight for a regular spot. Thierry Palma [AM LC/F C, FRA – 3 U21 Caps, 180cm, 23] – 2, 36, 5 Another solid player, Palma is demanding a new contract (reasonable, given he's only being paid ₤250), but given our depth, may be on the way out. Matt Sparrow [AM RLC, ENG, 183cm, 31] – 1, 9, 0 Very poor last season, and looks set to spend the season in the reserves. He looks to be a quality player, but just hasn't performed. Marcin Zakrzewski [AM L, NOR – 4 U21 caps, 183cm, 19] – 1, 16, 0 Attracting attention from Birmingham, Fulham and Man City, among others. He's a good player, but with so much competition for a left wing, he won't play as much as I'd like. Forwards Ivaylo Aleksandrov [sT, BUL – 2 U21 Caps, 177cm, 27] – 1, 8, 2 Had very little impact despite his big wages, and faces a battle to regain his senior spot. Gerrit Falix [AM/F C, HOL – 2 U21 caps, 180cm, 24] – 0, 0, 0 A quality player who has been at Coventry for the last few seasons, but only broke into their League One side last year. He was average then, but his exceptional passing and shooting ability will make him a dangerous forward for us. Salvatore Foti [AM L/ST, ITA – 6 U21 caps, 183cm, 26] – 0, 0, 0 Has spent his entire career in Italy with Sampdoria. He's played a handful of Serie A games, but has mostly been dominating at lower levels on loan. He's brilliant in the air, and an obvious target for our corner takers and crossers. He's also a playmaker and brilliant from the penalty spot. A fine addition to the squad. Lars Roland [AM L/ST, DEN, 181cm, 23] – 5, 57, 19 Has shown good goalscoring form in recent seasons, and has now been re-signed for three seasons. With a few new strikers coming in, he should keep things settled up forward. English League Two Young Player of the Month January 2013; English League Two Player of the Month February 2013; Named in English Players' League Two Select 12/13 Mike Tobin [sT, AUS – 8 U21 caps, 178cm, 23] – 3, 14, 3 Put through a couple of goals last season, but was only re-signed because of his small wage demands. Vitalijs Vilerush [sT, LAT – 14 caps, 186cm, 23] – 5, 77, 27 Still not scoring enough, and will have a battle to retain his senior spot. Overview I enter my 10th year in charge of Rushden with a massive bank balance and new-look side. By losing Hart and Glover, we've lost two of our top scorers of last season (the last few seasons in Hart's case). Klukowski and Zutautas were among our top midfielders. I used last season's first XI as a template for this season's, and after deleting six of the 11, it was clear there had been a lot of changes. However, the massive influx of players include several with plenty of talent. Given the wage bill is double that of last season, I'd certainly hope so. The question is how long it will take them to show that talent. Promotion is a very reasonable aim for this season, and anything less than a top half finish would be a failure. First XI Okay, only a slight change this time around. I went with a 4-1-3-2 formation for most of last season, and have simply pushed the central midfielder forward to make it a diamond midfield formation, with Klukowski gone and Falix arriving. GK: Wayne Henderson RB: Laurence Nelson LB: Robert Markovic CB: Chris Baird CB: Glenn Wilson DM: Levi Koopman RM: Franck Moussa LM: Marcin Zakrzewski AM: Gerrit Falix CF: Salvatore Foti CF: Vitalijs Vilerush Sub: Juho Heinonen Sub: Jon Lumsden Sub: Danny McCoy Sub: Lars Roland Sub: Paul Hayes Captain: Glenn Wilson Penalties: Salvatore Foti, Paul Hayes, Lars Roland Free Kicks: (L) Robert Markovic, Thierry Palma; ® Juho Heinonen, Ivaylo Aleksandrov Corners: (L) Marcin Zakrzewski, Salvatore Foti; ® Levi Koopman, Gerrit Falix Throw Ins: (L) Danny McCoy, Robert Markovic; ® Glenn Wilson, Franck Moussa Playmaker: Murray Kelly, Salvatore Foti, Lars Roland Target Man: Salvatore Foti, Lars Roland, Vitaljis Vilerush Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 August, 2015 Hartlepool, League One, Home I was able to go out with my listed First XI. Vilerush scored in the 10th, played through with a great header from Foti. They reversed roles from a Moussa corner in the 36th, with Vilerush's header rebounding off the post and into Foti's path for a goal on début. A cross from Moussa, a header from Foti, and it was 3-0 before half time. Hartlepool were not without chances, but not only did we hold them off, Markovic added a fourth with a free from 30 yards. A brilliant début from Foti. That win was soured by the news I had been sacked as Australian manager. I don't think I'd done too badly at all as manager, and in fact met the FA and fan expectations by making the the quarter final of the Asian Nations Cup. Still, at least I can fully focus on Rushden. Walsall, League One, Away With just a three day break, I made numerous changes. Even Man of the Match Foti and fellow scorer Markovic were left out. McCoy, Lumsden and Green played their first games for Rushden. Walsall scored in the first half and in contrast to the season opener, we had few shots and failed to score. Preston, League One, Home The good performers from the first game returned , and Foti was immediately in the action, setting up Falix for his first goal in Rushden colours. Falix did it on his own with a fine run from the midfield in the 23rd for a 2-0 win. Foti won everything in the air and picked up his second Man of the Match award. I loaned out Paul Miskelly to Sheffield United, and rejected several bids for Dudek. Torquay, League Cup, 1st round, Away Aleksandrov put a shot off the post in the third minute after being played through by Falix, who missed a shot of his own later in the half. A Markovic free was barely tipped away and Aleksandrov missed a header. Roland came off the bench and missed a few more shots, before finally Falix managed to get one in – and even then it came off the keeper. 1-0, but it should have been more. Franck Moussa was runner-up as Player of the Month and Falix's running goal against Preston was Goal of the Month. There's a lot of promise in our new signings, but I'm having a bit of trouble managing such a big senior squad. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 September, 2015 Bristol City, League One, Home My Australian successor, Damian Mori, called up Franck Moussa, so I had to play Paul Hayes on the right wing. Foti was a towering figure early, but it was Aleksandrov with a great run who scored first. Bristol had few chances, but equalised with just 10 minutes to go. Zakrzewski and Vilerush came off the bench and combined to score, but it was ruled out. Thankfully, we were awarded a penalty with a minute to go, and Foti put it through. We deserved the win, but it was a bit tighter than it should have been. Foti was again Man of the Match, and looks a brilliant signing. [bNottingham Forest, League One, Away[/b] This game was mid-week, so a number of players took a break. We were belted in the first half, but should have scored from a rare chance when Foti crossed to the returning Moussa. A brilliant long pass from McCoy only saw Vilerush head the ball to the keeper. Forest had chance of their own, but somehow we held on for a draw. Swansea, League One, Away After a busy few minutes, Vilerush headed in a Foti cross. Moussa smacked in his first for Rushden in a goalmouth scramble. Roland made it 3-0 with a penalty just after the break, but Swansea scored moments later. Falix is a great attacking player, but defensively he is awful, and he cost us this goal. Swansea put through a second in the 55th, and suddenly it was game on. Against the run of play, Koopman headed in a long free from Zakrzewski to restore a two-goal buffer and Roland sealed it with our fifth goal. Lincoln, League One, Away After a number of chances, Foti headed in a cross from McCoy late in the first half. Once again we should have scored a lot more than we did, but fortunately one goal was enough. Derby, League One, Home Moussa missed a shot but set up Vilerush, who was on target. Roland scored in the final seconds to complete a simple win. Oldham, League Cup, 2nd round, Home Francesco Gasparetto made his début here, but it was veteran defender Glenn Wilson with a third minute goal to put us ahead of our Championship opponents. It was a dominant performance from Rushden, and a penalty to Foti late in the game and strike from Roland made it 3-0. Barnet, League One, Away This was a flat performance from Rushden. We actually had the same number of shots as Barnet, but couldn't get them on target. They scored twice to end our run of six games without a loss. Luton, League One, Home Again our opponents were more on target than we were, but fortunately the target was our own goal. After a Markovic free was knocked in by a defender, McCoy and Foti teamed brilliantly for our second. Two goals from 14 shots isn't a great conversion rate, especially when we didn't score one of those, but it was three points nonetheless. Foti was runner-up as Player of the Month, Heinonen was Young Player of the Month and I was third as Manager of the Month. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 October, 2015 Wolves, League One, Home 15 shots to 7, a 91st minute goal to Wolves. Beyond frustrating. I dropped Hayes, Morgan, Murray and Baird to the reserves, bringing up Cowan-Hall, Dudek and Lomax. Coventry, League One, Home Another game of domination finished scoreless. Foti won the ball many times, but could not get around the keeper. Blackpool, League One, Away Foti scored in the 19th in an even game. Again we wasted chances, and an 80th minute goal to Blackpool levelled the game. Thankfully, Foti put through a penalty with five minute to go to ensure we got the three points. Barnet, Johnstone's Paint Trophy 1st round, Away Since we faced a League One opponent, I didn't rest any players. Young forward Pascal Mohammed did make his début though, and scored in the 10th when Heinonen's long ball wasn't cleared by a defender. He set up partner Roland nine minutes later. As usual, we missed plenty, but Moussa, having seen the forwards waste his fine crosses, sent one to fellow winger Zakrzewski. Barnet hit back a few minutes later, and a second suddenly made it 3-2 in the 69th. We held on, but it was a little closer than I'd expected. Northampton, League One, Home Our rivals' manager made a smug comment about Rushden not being good enough to get promoted, which added a bit more incentive to get the win. Unfortunately, not only did they score in four minutes, it was Rushden discard Adam Hett who did it. At the final whistle, it was a dozen shots to six, and zero goals to one. Chelsea, League Cup 3rd round, Home This is the third time we've been drawn against Chelsea, and after beating them 2-1 in 2011 and 1-0 in 2014, it would be fair to say we have a pretty good record against them. Moussa, Foti and Roland all had shots on goal without success in the opening 20 minutes. For once, Foti managed to win the ball on the ground rather than in the air, and breaking past a defender, blasted in a fine goal in the 55th. A dubious free gave Chelsea a chance, but Henderson kept it out. Heinonen came close with a free of his own at the other end. With three minutes to go, Chelsea's keeper (Ben Foster, formerly of Man U and with two English caps) came forward for a corner, and we made a quick break. Foti took a shot from half-way, but it was just wide. Still,. A few late saves from Man of the Match Henderson were all we needed to maintain our unbeaten record against Chelsea. It wasn't their full-strength side of course, but the important thing is that we progressed. Sheffield Wednesday, League One, Away After being outplayed in the first few minutes, Rushden had a brilliant exchange of passes which finished with Pascal Mohammed. Unfortunately, he could only blast it over the bar. That was the best of our many chances, and once again we finished scoreless. Just one league win from that month. Dudek was runner-up as the Young Player of the Month in the only bright spot. We are getting plenty of shots, but just not turning them into goals. This squad is too good for League One, but we need to get the points on the board. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 November 2015 Brighton, Johnstone's Paint Trophy, 2nd round, Home Sloppy defending gifted Roland an early goal and Moussa hit in a fine second in the 21st. After missing with a few headers, Heinonen put through a corner from Koopman to make it 3-0 at the break, and that was the final score. Port Vale, League One, Away The ball was locked in Rushden's half for a long time, but it took 36 minutes before Heinonen finally put us ahead with a long-range effort. Roland put through another before the break Again, the half-time score was the same as the one at the final whistle. Charlton, League Cup 4th round, Away A great start for Rushden, with Lomax hooking in a corner and Foti heading it home after five minutes. Charlton equalised in the 20th and though we regained the lead through a Foti penalty late in the half, they scored again in injury time. 2-2 at the break. We lost Markovic and McCoy to injury in the second half and though we looked solid, a goal to Charlton with nine minutes left knocked us out of the League Cup. Lewes, FA Cup 1st round, Away A chance to rest a few players against a Conference opponent. Vilerush took the chance to find some form, hitting in two goals in the first twenty minutes. Fernández added his first of the season and Vilerush completed his hat-trick in the second half. It ended a 10-hour drought, but meant little against weak opposition. Mansfield, League One, Home After a few shots from Foti and Heinonen were denied, it took a misplaced pass from Heinonen to give us the only goal of the game. Just one goal from sixteen shots. Colchester, League One, Away Gerrit Falix returned from injury. Foti scored in the opening minutes and once again, one goal was enough. Young striker James McCraw played his first senior game. Crewe, League One, Home Vilerush missed two sitters in the first half. Partner Foti scored just after the break, only to have Crewe equalise moments later. Roland came off the bench to replace Vilerush and headed in a late winner. Dudek was named Young Player of the Month, and I was Manager of the Month. We won all four of our league games, though we should have had far greater winning margins. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 December 2015 Bristol Rovers, Johnstone's Paint Trophy quarter final, Away I went with a full-strength side despite taking on a League Two opponent. Unfortunately, we conceded an early goal thanks to a tough penalty call against Dudek. Great work from Moussa in the middle set up Vilerush for an equaliser in the 24th, but Rovers regained their lead late in the half. That lasted only a few minutes, with Vilerush tapping in through a crowd in the area before the break. Moussa could have headed in a winner, but put it over the bar, and then did the same with a shot after being played through by Fernández. He was indirectly responsible for a penalty in injury time, having played through Vilerush when he was fouled, but Roland hit the shot straight to the keeper. That did not bode well for our chances when the game went to penalties, and sure enough we missed our first two shots. Bristol made no mistake from four, easily knocking us out. Chester, FA Cup 2nd Round, Away Another chance to rest players against a League Two side. Zakrzewski volleyed us to a 10th minute lead, but they were level in just a few moments through a counter-attack. Fernandez curled in a 25-yard free to restore the lead Chester actually had the majority of the chances in the game after that, but missed most of them as we progressed to the third round. I gave striker Ivaylo Aleksandrov a release after the game. The Bulgarian was on pretty big wages, but had scored just three goals in one and a half seasons, and there was little point keeping him. I also arranged the sale of frustrating striker Vitalijs Vilerush Scunthorpe, League One, Away This was a flat game with few chances to either side. It was no surprise it ended scoreless. Leyton Orient, League One, Home Kelvin Lomax scored his first goal of the season with an excellent free kick, but it was 1-1 after 11 minutes. Only a fantastic save from Gallacher kept out an Orient free later in the half. Foti, as he has done countless times, set up a team-mate with a fine header, flicking on the ball for Gasparetto to run through and score before the break. Orient were level again five minutes into the second, but fine work from Dudek at the back started a counter-attack which saw Foti make it 3-2 with half an hour to go. Millwall, League One, Away A great pass from Heinonen into the box was ruined by a terrible header from Mohammed. He was actually much closer with a blistering 45-yard drive that only just went wide. Millwall had no problems, scoring in the 35th. Another to Millwall just after the break ended it. To be fair, they hadn't lost in a dozen games, but we still looked as poor as we have for quite a while. MK Dons, League One, Away Again we were outplayed, with our opponents scoring twice in the first half and having a third one ruled out. Strikers Roland and McCraw missed a few shots, but we were clearly the inferior side. They scored again in the second half to make it 0-3. The only good news was that Robert Markovic returned after a couple of months out injured. Hartlepool, League One, Away After two bad losses, a change in fortune was overdue. Instead, we had numerous chances saved or just wide, then saw Hartlepool score with their first shot. Falix made things worse by missing a sitter in the 60th , but Zakrzewski finally scored his first ever goal after a header from Foti. Gasparetto missed another simple chance, and at the other end Hartlepool stole back the lead. Another sitter was missed by Foti, and from a ridiculous 26 shots, we had one goal. Nottingham Forest, League One, Home Defender Rory Smyth made his début and crossed to Roland for a third minute opening goal, but Forest equalised before half time. It took a ridiculous own goal in the 70th to give us back the lead – somehow a defender stranding right next to the keeper managed to knock the ball into the goal despite not being near an attacker. It was actually nowhere near as dominant a performance as the one against Hartlepool, but we got three points this time. After a brief time on top of the table, we are now sitting in third spot. Our recent run has been awful, and losing three games in a row could wind up haunting us. Salvatore Foti has been by far the standout player, with the most goals, assists and Man of the Match awards. Unfortunately, he has had very little support. Players like Moussa, Heinonen and Dudek have been handy, but so many chances have been thrown away. I think I'll make a few changes to the side in January, with two players already to be sold, and interest in others like Dudek and Fernández. I don;t think I'll have much luck re-signing players – Koopman and Henderson are among those refusing to even consider offers. | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Preston | | 25 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 38 | 19 | +19 | 49 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Millwall | | 25 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 34 | 13 | +21 | 46 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Rushden | | 25 | 14 | 4 | 7 | 32 | 20 | +12 | 46 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Crewe | | 25 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 37 | 30 | +7 | 40 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Leyton Orient | | 25 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 42 | 32 | +10 | 39 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Coventry | | 25 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 24 | 20 | +4 | 39 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Northampton | | 25 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 32 | 27 | +5 | 38 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Swansea | | 25 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 31 | 32 | -1 | 38 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Sheff Wed | | 25 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 24 | 26 | -2 | 38 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Hartlepool | | 25 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 33 | 26 | +7 | 36 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Bristol City | | 25 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 32 | 26 | +6 | 36 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Scunthorpe | | 25 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 30 | 26 | +4 | 36 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Lincoln | | 25 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 23 | 19 | +4 | 36 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Wolves | | 25 | 11 | 3 | 11 | 25 | 26 | -1 | 36 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Walsall | | 25 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 21 | 25 | -4 | 36 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | MK Dons | | 25 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 37 | 32 | +5 | 33 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Derby | | 25 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 29 | 32 | -3 | 32 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Colchester | | 25 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 27 | 37 | -10 | 30 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Mansfield | | 25 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 28 | 31 | -3 | 28 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Blackpool | | 25 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 25 | 29 | -4 | 25 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Luton | | 25 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 23 | 43 | -20 | 23 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Nottm Forest | | 25 | 6 | 3 | 16 | 23 | 38 | -15 | 21 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Port Vale | | 25 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 17 | 35 | -18 | 21 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | | Barnet | | 25 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 37 | -23 | 19 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 January, 2016 Two sales to start the year, with Vilerush off to CSKA Moscow for ₤1.9M and Paris Cowan-Hall to Crewe for ₤35K. Vilerush had actually done well for a change, with eight goals in eighteen games, but this was still too few given his chances. Also, his contract finished in 2016, and he wouldn't re-sign, so there was no point keeping him. Cowan-Hall was dominating the reserves to a ridiculous degree, but never really sealed a first team spot over the decade of my reign. Walsall, League One, Away Falix hit the crossbar in the opening minute and Foti put one well over the bar, both with shots from inside the area. Another miss to Foti in the 18th, and my frustration was mounting. Gasparetto put another over from 10 yards and Foti headed the ball into the post before half time. Foti was finally on target in the 54th, only to have his header tipped over. Fernández again hit the woodwork from the corner, but at long last, Gasparetto was there to tap it in. Foti continued to rack up the missed shots, but solid defending got us the three points. We picked up a massive, unexpected boost of ₤6.25M – 30% of defender Andrew Makhanya's move from Manchester United to Inter (for a cool ₤21M – not bad at all for a defender). Considering we picked him up for ₤325K and sold him for ₤5.75M, that's quite a tidy profit... Bradford, FA Cup 3rd Round, Away This could be an interesting preview of next season, against a mid-table Championship side. Bradford knocked us out back in 2013. We should have been in front in the 13th, but Gasparetto put a header over the bar. A Heinonen free was barely tipped away, as was a header from Foti. After a dominant first half hour from Rushden, Bradford naturally scored with their first shot. They did the same with their second in the 55th, but thankfully that was ruled offside. Nonetheless, we had eight shots on goal, they had one, yet the final score was 0-1. Preston, League One, Away Morale at the side was dropping, so Moussa's successful header from a Falix corner in the 19th was crucial. Roland extended the lead after half time thanks to a fine long pass from the impressive Dudek for a deserved 2-0 win that took us to top spot. I happily accepted a ₤1M bid for Koopman from Hull, since his contract ends at the end of the season and he won't re-sign, but he turned down their contract offer. Colchester, League One, Home Again a Rushden player hit the back of the net early, but unfortunately it was Dudek putting the ball past Henderson. We came forward straight from the kick-off, Zakrzewski passed to Foti, and it was 1-1 after two minutes. Zakrzewski proved he's better at setting up goals than scoring them, heading a shot virtually parallel to the goal. Foti missed one, but managed to send the ball around the back of the keeper for Roland to finish with a simple tap-in late in the second half. 2-1, and a four-game league winning streak. There was a deluge of bids for Dudek from some mid-table Premiership and Scottish clubs, which I rejected. However, out of nowhere, Reading came in with a huge offer for winger Marcin Zakrzewski - ₤2.5M, 40% sell-on and a young international striker, Conall Hawe. With Danny McCoy already vying for the left wing spot, and striker Vilerush recently sold, I decided to accept. Conall Hawe [sT, NIR – 1 cap, 179cm, 19] – 0, 0, 0 A classy player, who adds much-needed pace to our forward pairing and some deadly crossing ability. An ideal partner for Foti. Coventry, League One, Away Coventry scored in a dozen minutes. Moussa and Foti missed good chances to level the scores, but Gasparetto got it in the 31st. Despite Rushden dominating, Coventry scored again early in the second half. It was 11 shots to three, and guess which side had the three? A free from Heinonen deflected off the wall and was barely saved, and Roland was there to tap it in with five minutes to go. At least we got one point, but we really should have won. I snapped up a team-mate of Hawe on a free transfer. Jaroslaw Fojut [D C, POL – 6 caps, 188cm, 28] – 0, 0, 0 An imposing presence who adds height and bravery to our defence. He's struggled at Premier Division level in a handful of games, but should be more useful at this level. Lincoln, League One, Away Fojut made his début at the back. An early Rushden goal was ruled out, and as luck would have it, that was one of the very few times we were on target. Unbelievably, Lincoln scored from one of their very few chances, we missed everything and lost the game. Fojut suffered a broken wrist in his first game for the club, putting him out for a month. | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Preston | | 30 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 47 | 23 | +24 | 57 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Millwall | | 30 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 39 | 17 | +22 | 56 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Rushden | | 30 | 17 | 5 | 8 | 39 | 24 | +15 | 56 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Northampton | | 30 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 38 | 29 | +9 | 51 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Hartlepool | | 30 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 38 | 26 | +12 | 49 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Sheff Wed | | 30 | 14 | 5 | 11 | 32 | 30 | +2 | 47 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Leyton Orient | | 29 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 47 | 35 | +12 | 46 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Crewe | | 29 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 44 | 34 | +10 | 46 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Lincoln | | 30 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 31 | 24 | +7 | 46 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Coventry | | 30 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 44 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Swansea | | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 35 | 38 | -3 | 43 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Walsall | | 30 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 28 | 32 | -4 | 42 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Bristol City | | 30 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 36 | 34 | +2 | 41 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Wolves | | 29 | 12 | 5 | 12 | 28 | 29 | -1 | 41 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | MK Dons | | 30 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 41 | 36 | +5 | 38 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Scunthorpe | | 30 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 35 | 34 | +1 | 38 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Colchester | | 30 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 32 | 42 | -10 | 36 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Mansfield | | 30 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 31 | 36 | -5 | 33 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Derby | | 30 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 29 | 43 | -14 | 33 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Blackpool | | 30 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 29 | 33 | -4 | 32 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Luton | | 29 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 29 | 49 | -20 | 29 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Port Vale | | 30 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 24 | 42 | -18 | 27 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Nottm Forest | | 30 | 7 | 4 | 19 | 27 | 44 | -17 | 25 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | | Barnet | | 30 | 4 | 10 | 16 | 18 | 43 | -25 | 22 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 February, 2016 Bristol City, League One, Away A dull first half and not much more of interest in the second. Matt Sparrow put us ahead with ten minutes to go, squeezing a straight shot past a defender and the keeper, and with a Bristol forward missing a sitter, we took the three points. Swansea, League One, Home Levi Koopman returned from injury. We scored five the last time we faced Swansea, but it wasn't until a brilliant long ball from Nelson out of defence that Falix put us ahead in the 74th minute. Falix passed to Gasparetto for the injury time sealer. 2-0. Derby, League One, Away Clumsy defending from Morgan, standing in due to a number of injuries to defenders, gifted Derby a third minute goal. It was 0-2 after 11 and only an offside call denied a third five minutes later. Roland set up Moussa for our first, late in the half and Koopman levelled the scores five minutes into the second. Our chances of stealing the win were dealt a blow when Roland was sent off for a second yellow, and even worse, Derby scored with 15 minutes to go. Fernandez blasted a late chance over and Derby put through a fourth on the counter. Barnet, League One, Home Though we lost Roland to suspension and Moussa to international duty, it shouldn't have made a difference in a home game against the bottom-placed side. However, we conceded in the 18th minute and looked subdued. A blast at half time saw a more attacking Rushden side come out, and both Foti and Falix scored from 20 yards in the first 25 minutes of the half. A win, but not a convincing one. Luton, League One, Away We now faced the second-bottom side, with Moussa and Roland back. We had a lot of early chances, and eventually a good run from Roland saw us take the lead in the 11th. Another bunch of missed chances was followed by McCoy playing Falix through for number two. Roland scored his second, and Rushden's third, late in the game, and completed a hat-trick with 2 minutes to go. 4-0. Heinonen was Young Player of the Month, with Dudek runner-up. We're in decent form and a few points clear on top of the table. Promotion looks pretty certain, but there are 11 games to go. | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Rushden | | 35 | 21 | 5 | 9 | 50 | 29 | +21 | 68 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Preston | | 35 | 18 | 9 | 8 | 52 | 28 | +24 | 63 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Lincoln | | 35 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 40 | 27 | +13 | 58 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Crewe | | 35 | 17 | 7 | 11 | 52 | 40 | +12 | 58 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Millwall | | 35 | 14 | 15 | 6 | 47 | 28 | +19 | 57 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Hartlepool | | 35 | 16 | 8 | 11 | 46 | 34 | +12 | 56 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Northampton | | 35 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 42 | 33 | +9 | 56 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Wolves | | 35 | 15 | 8 | 12 | 38 | 34 | +4 | 53 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Walsall | | 35 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 36 | 37 | -1 | 52 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Swansea | | 35 | 14 | 9 | 12 | 40 | 43 | -3 | 51 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Leyton Orient | | 34 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 50 | 41 | +9 | 50 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Sheff Wed | | 35 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 37 | 39 | -2 | 49 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Bristol City | | 35 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 41 | 38 | +3 | 48 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Scunthorpe | | 35 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 43 | 39 | +4 | 46 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Mansfield | | 35 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 40 | 40 | 0 | 46 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Coventry | | 35 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 32 | 37 | -5 | 46 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Derby | | 35 | 12 | 7 | 16 | 38 | 49 | -11 | 43 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Blackpool | | 35 | 11 | 9 | 15 | 35 | 35 | 0 | 42 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | MK Dons | | 35 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 45 | 45 | 0 | 41 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Colchester | | 35 | 8 | 14 | 13 | 34 | 48 | -14 | 38 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Port Vale | | 35 | 9 | 6 | 20 | 29 | 50 | -21 | 33 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Nottm Forest | | 35 | 8 | 6 | 21 | 33 | 52 | -19 | 30 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Luton | | 34 | 7 | 9 | 18 | 30 | 59 | -29 | 30 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | | Barnet | | 35 | 6 | 11 | 18 | 22 | 47 | -25 | 29 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 March, 2016 Millwall, League One, Home Fernández forced a couple of saves and Roland put another shot over. Rushden were the better side, but a few saves and wild shooting from Roland left the game scoreless. Wolves, League One, Away Falix was dominant in the opening minutes, but it took a lame clearance from the keeper to allow Roland to score from 35 yards. Falix continued his fine game in the second half, saving a goal and then doing all the work to leave Roland with a tap-in. 2-0. Wolves got one goal back late, but we held on. Blackpool, League One, Home Falix continued his fine form, passing through the defence for Hawe, but the new signing put wide his chance at a first goal for Rushden. He did it again in the 28th, but Koopman lobbed a pass for Roland to head in an opener. One goal from ten first-half shots was a poor return, but Blackpool never threatened and that sole score was enough. Hawe has been poor in five games, and was dropped. Paul Hayes replaces him. Northampton, League One, Away Our last encounter with our rivals saw a loss despite a strong showing from Rushden. Koopman and Roland came close with powerful drives, but it took a classic flick-on header from Foti to play Roland through for a goal in the 37th. Northampton looked to have scored in first half injury time, but it was ruled out. They could have scored in the second half when a terrible turnover in the middle left the defence totally out of position, but Markovic got back just in time to clear the ball. Henderson made a great save when we were again caught out and again we took three points. Port Vale, League One, Home A few players were given a break here and Henderson was put under early pressure. Hayes was brought down while through on goal, resulting in a red card, but Koopman missed the free from the edge of the area. Hayes came closest, with the fingertips of the keeper barely deflecting his shot in the 70th. 0-0. I was just about to call up midfielder Murray Kelly after he struck four goals in the reserves, only for him to be put our for the rest of the season with an ankle injury. I managed to re-sign all my staff bar Assistant Leitzi, but defender Glenn Wilson is the only player to have re-signed. There will be some big losses, and that's not what I want when promotion to the Championship seems certain. | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | Pl | Rushden | | 40 | 24 | 7 | 9 | 54 | 30 | +24 | 79 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Preston | | 40 | 21 | 10 | 9 | 60 | 32 | +28 | 73 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Crewe | | 40 | 19 | 9 | 12 | 62 | 45 | +17 | 66 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Millwall | | 40 | 16 | 17 | 7 | 51 | 31 | +20 | 65 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Hartlepool | | 40 | 18 | 10 | 12 | 51 | 37 | +14 | 64 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Lincoln | | 40 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 46 | 33 | +13 | 63 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Leyton Orient | | 40 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 57 | 47 | +10 | 59 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Walsall | | 40 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 42 | 42 | 0 | 59 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Northampton | | 40 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 44 | 40 | +4 | 58 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Wolves | | 40 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 42 | 40 | +2 | 58 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Swansea | | 40 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 43 | 47 | -4 | 56 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Bristol City | | 40 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 44 | 40 | +4 | 54 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Mansfield | | 40 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 47 | 44 | +3 | 54 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Sheff Wed | | 40 | 15 | 8 | 17 | 41 | 46 | -5 | 53 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Derby | | 40 | 15 | 8 | 17 | 42 | 51 | -9 | 53 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | MK Dons | | 40 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 51 | 47 | +4 | 52 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Blackpool | | 40 | 14 | 10 | 16 | 40 | 38 | +2 | 52 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Coventry | | 40 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 36 | 43 | -7 | 50 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Colchester | | 40 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 42 | 50 | -8 | 50 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Scunthorpe | | 40 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 48 | 51 | -3 | 49 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Barnet | | 40 | 9 | 12 | 19 | 27 | 50 | -23 | 39 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Nottm Forest | | 40 | 9 | 7 | 24 | 38 | 61 | -23 | 34 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Port Vale | | 40 | 9 | 7 | 24 | 30 | 57 | -27 | 34 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | | Luton | | 40 | 8 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 68 | -36 | 34 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 April, 2016 Mansfield, League One, Away A great chain of passes finished with Hayes putting in an 18th minute goal Mansfield came close to equalising late in the game, but good work from Henderson between the posts gave us the win. I re-signed midfielder Anne Esser. Preston drew, leaving us eight points clear with five games to go. Sheff Wed, League One, Home Surprisingly, we were outplayed in this game, and were probably lucky to get away with a scoreless draw. Nonetheless, Preston lost, extending the lead to nine points. Crewe, League One, Away Foti slammed in a great goal in the 22nd and Crewe equalised in the 53rd. Crewe were reduced to ten men with twenty minutes to go thanks to a professional foul, but we did not take advantage. Preston's dismal form continued with a loss, sealing our title win with three games in hand. It was widely regarded as a “surprise” win, and it presents us with a major challenge given a lot of quality players – including Henderson, who has conceded two goals in our last nine games – will be out the door. Scunthorpe, League One, Home We had countless chances before Roland finally broke the deadlock in the 38th. Markovic added another from a free and a backpass gave Roland a second goal on a platter. Scunthorpe scored a stunning goal in injury time to end it 3-1. Crewe, League One, Away With the title sealed, I gave players like McCraw, Greena nd Gallacher a run. Defender Fojut also came in after being injured on début a few months back. We conceded the first goal, but after that it was all Rushden. Foti set up fellow new arrival Falix for two goals and McCraw scored his first senior goal to make it 3-1 at half time. He was denied a brace by the rAway[/b]eferee, but we had our 11th straight game without defeat. MK Dons, League One, Home A farewell to League One for Rushden, and probably a farewell to a number of senior players as well. Foti started the celebrations, chipping in a goal in 90 seconds. Dons got an equaliser mid-way through the half, but McCraw made it 2-1 before half time. Foti scored his second on the other side of the break and an own goal took it to 4-1. Dons got another one back, but could not deny us the win in our (hopefully!) final League One game . Foti was the Player of the Month and Dudek was Young Player of the Month, fresh off a new four-year deal. Foti set a new club record by winning his 15th Man of the Match award, and we finished with seven more points than the previous time we won League One. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 The season in review Summary | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | C | Rushden | | 46 | 28 | 9 | 9 | 66 | 35 | +31 | 93 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | P | Preston | | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 69 | 42 | +27 | 80 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Millwall | | 46 | 21 | 17 | 8 | 64 | 37 | +27 | 80 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Crewe | | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 71 | 48 | +23 | 80 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Hartlepool | | 46 | 21 | 11 | 14 | 58 | 44 | +14 | 74 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | P | Northampton | | 46 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 58 | 45 | +13 | 72 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Wolves | | 46 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 57 | 44 | +13 | 71 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Lincoln | | 46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 58 | 46 | +12 | 68 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Walsall | | 46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 48 | 50 | -2 | 64 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Swansea | | 46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 52 | 55 | -3 | 64 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Blackpool | | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 46 | 45 | +1 | 62 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Leyton Orient | | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 62 | 58 | +4 | 61 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Bristol City | | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 47 | 47 | 0 | 60 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Sheff Wed | | 46 | 16 | 12 | 18 | 50 | 56 | -6 | 60 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | MK Dons | | 46 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 60 | 58 | +2 | 59 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Scunthorpe | | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 53 | 58 | -5 | 59 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Colchester | | 46 | 13 | 18 | 15 | 49 | 58 | -9 | 57 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Coventry | | 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 46 | 55 | -9 | 57 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Derby | | 46 | 16 | 9 | 21 | 49 | 63 | -14 | 57 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Mansfield | | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 50 | 52 | -2 | 56 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | R | Port Vale | | 46 | 11 | 11 | 24 | 41 | 65 | -24 | 44 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | R | Barnet | | 46 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 31 | 57 | -26 | 44 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | R | Luton | | 46 | 11 | 10 | 25 | 39 | 76 | -37 | 43 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | R | Nottm Forest | | 46 | 10 | 8 | 28 | 48 | 78 | -30 | 38 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Pkd | Inf | Name | Apps | Gls | Ast | MoM | Pas | Tck | Drb | Sh T | Av Rat| | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | Wnt | Salvatore Foti | 39 (1) | 19 | 17 | 15 | 63% | 0.27 | 1.24 | 59% | 7.60 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S5 | Wnt | Franck Moussa | 39 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 73% | 1.66 | 1.60 | 43% | 7.26 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S3 | Unh | Wayne Henderson | 37 | - | - | 2 | 61% | - | - | - | 7.11 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S1 | Wnt | Juho Heinonen | 36 (1) | 3 | 4 | 3 | 75% | 3.52 | 0.28 | 36% | 7.41 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S4 | Wnt | Robert Markovic | 35 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 72% | 3.09 | 0.58 | 48% | 7.17 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Rasmus Dudek | 34 (2) | - | 1 | 1 | 65% | 3.96 | 0.29 | - | 7.28 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DMC | | Levi Koopman | 34 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 71% | 3.71 | 0.64 | 30% | 7.47 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Danny McCoy | 33 (1) | - | 4 | - | 73% | 2.09 | 2.28 | 21% | 7.21 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Chris Baird | 32 (2) | - | - | 1 | 65% | 3.64 | 0.24 | - | 7.09 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DR | Wnt | Laurence Nelson | 31 (1) | - | 2 | 1 | 66% | 3.13 | 0.68 | - | 6.94 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Josué Fernández | 27 (1) | 2 | 4 | 1 | 68% | 2.28 | 2.12 | 40% | 7.11 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DL | Wnt | Craig Green | 26 (1) | - | 1 | - | 66% | 3.11 | 0.08 | - | 6.89 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S2 | | Lars Roland | 24 (11) | 21 | 5 | 6 | 71% | 0.31 | 1.95 | 55% | 7.23 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | AMC | Wnt | Gerrit Falix | 24 (3) | 8 | 5 | 1 | 74% | 1.31 | 1.18 | 41% | 7.11 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | | Glenn Wilson | 24 (1) | 1 | - | - | 66% | 3.15 | 0.29 | - | 7.04 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MR | Wnt | Francesco Gasparetto | 20 (6) | 4 | 1 | - | 74% | 1.49 | 1.31 | 47% | 7.00 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | GK | Wnt | Scott Gallacher | 19 | - | - | - | 57% | - | - | - | 6.95 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Kelvin Lomax | 15 (1) | 1 | 1 | - | 65% | 2.96 | 0.53 | 36% | 6.88 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Paul Hayes | 10 (3) | 1 | - | - | 67% | 1.33 | 1.22 | 69% | 7.00 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Pascal Mohammed | 10 | 1 | 2 | - | 73% | 0.21 | 1.38 | 42% | 7.10 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Matt Sparrow | 6 (6) | 1 | - | - | 68% | 0.94 | 1.30 | - | 6.75 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Rory Smyth | 6 | - | 1 | - | 64% | 2.50 | 0.36 | - | 7.00 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | | James McCraw | 4 (1) | 2 | 1 | - | 78% | - | 1.52 | 33% | 7.20 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Aaron Morgan | 4 | - | - | - | 56% | 4.61 | 0.54 | - | 6.25 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | Wnt | Jaroslaw Fojut | 3 | - | 1 | - | 71% | 4.32 | - | - | 7.67 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Conall Hawe | 2 (3) | - | - | - | 63% | - | 0.72 | - | 6.40 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Thierry Palma | 2 (1) | - | 1 | - | 80% | 2.33 | 0.47 | - | 6.67 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Jon Lumsden | 2 | - | - | - | 60% | 5.00 | 0.50 | - | 6.50 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Stephen Murray | 1 (2) | - | 1 | - | 66% | 2.48 | 1.65 | - | 6.33 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| A strong season, though perhaps a bit overdue. I honestly expected to get straight back to the Championship, but instead it took three seasons. There are a lot of positives to come from the season, but also a few warning flags. I was named Manager of the Year, and Moussa and Foti made the Select side. The top players were a nice mix of new signings and relative veterans. This was best demonstrated by the fact that our two leading scorers were new singing Salvatore Foti and Lars Roland, in his sixth year at Rushden. Henderson was consistent in goal, with an excellent run toward the end of the season, and Gallacher was a solid backup. The 4-4-2 diamond formation worked well, with Heinonen and Koopman anchors at defensive midfield and a number of players, including Moussa, Falix and Gasparetto rotating through the attacking midfield spot. Surprise, surprise, the reserves won their league with a goal difference of 100. Aaron Morgan was brilliant in defence, there were countless stars in the midfield (most notably Justin Lomax and Thierry Palma) and Tobin, Mohammed and McCraw all got into double-figure goal tallies. Unfortunately, our affiliate, Notts County, did not fare so well, relegated after finishing bottom of League Two. We sent them Johansson, Norbet, Porter and Sherwood, but Sherwood was the only one to get a decent run. Around the world: major awards and results Rushden Supporters’ Player of the Year: Salvatore Foti World Player of the Year: Falcao (River) World Footballer of the year: Falcao (River) England: Winner: Liverpool Relegated: Hull, Blackburn, West Brom Promoted: Charlton, Leicester, Birmingham Spain: Sevilla Italy Palermo Champions Cup: Real Madrid EURO Cup: Roma Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 The season in review Summary | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | C | Rushden | | 46 | 28 | 9 | 9 | 66 | 35 | +31 | 93 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | P | Preston | | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 69 | 42 | +27 | 80 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Millwall | | 46 | 21 | 17 | 8 | 64 | 37 | +27 | 80 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Crewe | | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 71 | 48 | +23 | 80 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Hartlepool | | 46 | 21 | 11 | 14 | 58 | 44 | +14 | 74 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | P | Northampton | | 46 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 58 | 45 | +13 | 72 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Wolves | | 46 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 57 | 44 | +13 | 71 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Lincoln | | 46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 58 | 46 | +12 | 68 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Walsall | | 46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 48 | 50 | -2 | 64 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Swansea | | 46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 52 | 55 | -3 | 64 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Blackpool | | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 46 | 45 | +1 | 62 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Leyton Orient | | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 62 | 58 | +4 | 61 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Bristol City | | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 47 | 47 | 0 | 60 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Sheff Wed | | 46 | 16 | 12 | 18 | 50 | 56 | -6 | 60 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | MK Dons | | 46 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 60 | 58 | +2 | 59 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Scunthorpe | | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 53 | 58 | -5 | 59 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Colchester | | 46 | 13 | 18 | 15 | 49 | 58 | -9 | 57 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Coventry | | 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 46 | 55 | -9 | 57 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Derby | | 46 | 16 | 9 | 21 | 49 | 63 | -14 | 57 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Mansfield | | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 50 | 52 | -2 | 56 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | R | Port Vale | | 46 | 11 | 11 | 24 | 41 | 65 | -24 | 44 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | R | Barnet | | 46 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 31 | 57 | -26 | 44 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | R | Luton | | 46 | 11 | 10 | 25 | 39 | 76 | -37 | 43 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | R | Nottm Forest | | 46 | 10 | 8 | 28 | 48 | 78 | -30 | 38 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Pkd | Inf | Name | Apps | Gls | Ast | MoM | Pas | Tck | Drb | Sh T | Av Rat| | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | Wnt | Salvatore Foti | 39 (1) | 19 | 17 | 15 | 63% | 0.27 | 1.24 | 59% | 7.60 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S5 | Wnt | Franck Moussa | 39 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 73% | 1.66 | 1.60 | 43% | 7.26 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S3 | Unh | Wayne Henderson | 37 | - | - | 2 | 61% | - | - | - | 7.11 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S1 | Wnt | Juho Heinonen | 36 (1) | 3 | 4 | 3 | 75% | 3.52 | 0.28 | 36% | 7.41 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S4 | Wnt | Robert Markovic | 35 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 72% | 3.09 | 0.58 | 48% | 7.17 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Rasmus Dudek | 34 (2) | - | 1 | 1 | 65% | 3.96 | 0.29 | - | 7.28 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DMC | | Levi Koopman | 34 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 71% | 3.71 | 0.64 | 30% | 7.47 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Danny McCoy | 33 (1) | - | 4 | - | 73% | 2.09 | 2.28 | 21% | 7.21 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Chris Baird | 32 (2) | - | - | 1 | 65% | 3.64 | 0.24 | - | 7.09 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DR | Wnt | Laurence Nelson | 31 (1) | - | 2 | 1 | 66% | 3.13 | 0.68 | - | 6.94 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Josué Fernández | 27 (1) | 2 | 4 | 1 | 68% | 2.28 | 2.12 | 40% | 7.11 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DL | Wnt | Craig Green | 26 (1) | - | 1 | - | 66% | 3.11 | 0.08 | - | 6.89 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S2 | | Lars Roland | 24 (11) | 21 | 5 | 6 | 71% | 0.31 | 1.95 | 55% | 7.23 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | AMC | Wnt | Gerrit Falix | 24 (3) | 8 | 5 | 1 | 74% | 1.31 | 1.18 | 41% | 7.11 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | | Glenn Wilson | 24 (1) | 1 | - | - | 66% | 3.15 | 0.29 | - | 7.04 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MR | Wnt | Francesco Gasparetto | 20 (6) | 4 | 1 | - | 74% | 1.49 | 1.31 | 47% | 7.00 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | GK | Wnt | Scott Gallacher | 19 | - | - | - | 57% | - | - | - | 6.95 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Kelvin Lomax | 15 (1) | 1 | 1 | - | 65% | 2.96 | 0.53 | 36% | 6.88 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Paul Hayes | 10 (3) | 1 | - | - | 67% | 1.33 | 1.22 | 69% | 7.00 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Pascal Mohammed | 10 | 1 | 2 | - | 73% | 0.21 | 1.38 | 42% | 7.10 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Matt Sparrow | 6 (6) | 1 | - | - | 68% | 0.94 | 1.30 | - | 6.75 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Rory Smyth | 6 | - | 1 | - | 64% | 2.50 | 0.36 | - | 7.00 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | | James McCraw | 4 (1) | 2 | 1 | - | 78% | - | 1.52 | 33% | 7.20 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Aaron Morgan | 4 | - | - | - | 56% | 4.61 | 0.54 | - | 6.25 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | Wnt | Jaroslaw Fojut | 3 | - | 1 | - | 71% | 4.32 | - | - | 7.67 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Conall Hawe | 2 (3) | - | - | - | 63% | - | 0.72 | - | 6.40 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Thierry Palma | 2 (1) | - | 1 | - | 80% | 2.33 | 0.47 | - | 6.67 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Jon Lumsden | 2 | - | - | - | 60% | 5.00 | 0.50 | - | 6.50 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unh | Stephen Murray | 1 (2) | - | 1 | - | 66% | 2.48 | 1.65 | - | 6.33 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| A strong season, though perhaps a bit overdue. I honestly expected to get straight back to the Championship, but instead it took three seasons. There are a lot of positives to come from the season, but also a few warning flags. I was named Manager of the Year, and Moussa and Foti made the Select side. The top players were a nice mix of new signings and relative veterans. This was best demonstrated by the fact that our two leading scorers were new singing Salvatore Foti and Lars Roland, in his sixth year at Rushden. Henderson was consistent in goal, with an excellent run toward the end of the season, and Gallacher was a solid backup. The 4-4-2 diamond formation worked well, with Heinonen and Koopman anchors at defensive midfield and a number of players, including Moussa, Falix and Gasparetto rotating through the attacking midfield spot. Surprise, surprise, the reserves won their league with a goal difference of 100. Aaron Morgan was brilliant in defence, there were countless stars in the midfield (most notably Justin Lomax and Thierry Palma) and Tobin, Mohammed and McCraw all got into double-figure goal tallies. Unfortunately, our affiliate, Notts County, did not fare so well, relegated after finishing bottom of League Two. We sent them Johansson, Norbet, Porter and Sherwood, but Sherwood was the only one to get a decent run. Around the world: major awards and results Rushden Supporters’ Player of the Year: Salvatore Foti World Player of the Year: Falcao (River) World Footballer of the year: Falcao (River) England: Winner: Liverpool Relegated: Hull, Blackburn, West Brom Promoted: Charlton, Leicester, Birmingham Spain: Sevilla Italy Palermo Champions Cup: Real Madrid EURO Cup: Roma Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 The Transfers Players In | Date | Person | From | Fee | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Norbert, Steeve | Nantes | Free | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Moussa, Franck | St. Mirren | Free | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Foti, Salvatore | Sampdoria | Free | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Kelly, Murray | Bristol City | £150K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Lumsden, Jon | Bristol City | £120K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Gasparetto, Francesco | Crotone | Free | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Lomax, Justin | Watford | £35K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Falix, Gerrit | Coventry | £350K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | McCoy, Danny | Fulham | Free | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Baird, Chris | Colchester | Free | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10.7.2015 | Wanzi, Farid | Free Transfer | Free | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22.1.2016 | Hawe, Conall | Reading | P/Ex | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 26.1.2016 | Fojut, Jaroslaw | Reading | Free | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | Total | | £650K | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Players Out | Date | Person | To | Fee | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Zutautas, Kestutis | Villarreal | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Phillips, Jimmy | Aberdeen | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Grant, Anthony | Sheff Utd | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Klukowski, Yan | West Brom | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Lambley, Lawrence | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Hett, Adam | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Nurse, Chris | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | McDonald, Carlos | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Welsh, Rene | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.7.2015 | Cunningham, Wes | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7.7.2015 | Hart, Graham | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12.7.2015 | Todd, Scott | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17.7.2015 | Gill, Ben | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18.7.2015 | Glover, Danny | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3.12.2015 | Austin, Chris | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3.12.2015 | Downing, Gary | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3.12.2015 | Denton, Garry | Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5.12.2015 | Aleksandrov, Ivaylo| Free Transfer | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.1.2016 | Vilerush, Vitalijs | CSKA (Sofia) | £1.9M | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1.1.2016 | Cowan-Hall, Paris | Crewe | £35K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22.1.2016 | Zakrzewski, Marcin | Reading | £2.5M - P/Ex | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | Total | | £4.4M | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Youth In | Date | Person | To | Fee | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2015 | Taylor, Jamie | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2015 | Jarrett, Kirk | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2015 | Smith, Dane | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2015 | Tesoro, Daniel | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2015 | Davies, Carl | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2015 | Hunter, Stuart | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20.6.2015 | Gallagher, Mark | Rushden | Free | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | Total | | £0 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| This season probably showed up failed moves in previous seasons, with Murray, Sparrow, Hayes and the like spending it mostly in the reserves. There were certainly a few positives. Foti and Moussa were clearly stars, McCoy, Baird and Falix were senior regulars and Gasparetto did his job, though he probably won't be re-signed. However, there were also a lot of negatives. Norbit did nothing in League Two, Fojut was injured on début and Hawe was quickly dropped. Lumsden was very disappointing and Kelly and Lomax will need to play senior football to prove themselves. Zutautas and Grant were regulars after their uncompensated moves, but poor Klukowski didn't play a senior game at West Brom. Hett scored 17 goals for rivals Northampton and Hart got 25 for Scunthorpe, so with Roland and Foti also doing well, Rushden-linked players dominated the League One goalscoring. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 Pre-season, 2016/2017 I re-signed Paul Hayes . With over ₤8M in dividends paid to shareholders, we lost nearly ₤6M over last season. A brand new sponsorship deal of just ₤170K was announced. The only good news was that the stadium is to be expanded by over 3,000 seats, but that means a brief reduction in capacity. With Assistant Lionel Leitzi departing, I signed Bury's assistant Martin Scott for ₤45K.Concerned over disrupting the squad too much, I re-signed Henderson and Nelson on rather significant wages. The start of July saw a handful of moves. We picked up ₤975K from Constantin Petre's move to Lyon from Deportivo and released Matt Sparrow, Kelvin Lomax, Stephen Murray, Francesco Gasparetto, Aaron Morgan, Pascal Mohammed and a handful of youth players. I also sold forward Steeve Norbet to Newcastle Jets after an unimpressive loan spell. Levi Koopman, unfortunately, joined Ascoli for no compensation. Coming in were an eclectic bunch. Oddly, the one attracting the most attention was 18-year-old goalkeeper Roy Simons, formerly of De Graafschap. I got another keeper, Shane Bayliss of Bangor City, as well as right winger Giorgos Samaras (hopefully as good as his namesake), defender Pavlin Mihaylov, attacker Sebastian Rhazdis and midfielder Manuel Arevalo. Arevalo was the only one to come with a fee, ₤80K, and Mihaylov and Rhazdis were the oldest, at 19. Oddly, we were given odds of 25-1 to be promoted. Given the increasing size of the squad, I set up a second feeder team – non-league Rugby Town. They get Rory Smyth and Shane Bayliss, while Alan Farley and Justin Lomax head to Notts County. We won all four pre-season games, against Shrewsbury, Notts County, Partick Thistle and Grays. Foti was in stellar form, and should be set for a big season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 SEASON OVERVIEW 16/17 The Club Home Ground: Nene Park, Irthlingborough - capacity 12,364 (10, 870 seated) – temporarily reduced Rivals: Kettering, Northampton (fierce); Peterborough, Oxford, Luton Reputation: Regional Estimated Value: ₤8.25M Balance ₤23.8M Transfer Budget: ₤28M Media Prediction: 20th Board Expectation: Stay clear of relegation Fan Expectation: Stay clear of relegation Staff Chairman: Keith Cousins Assistant Manager: Martin Scott Coaches: Scott Gemmill, Kevin Horlock, Mehdi Nafti, Mark McLaughlin (General); Mark McGeown (GK); Liam Grieves (Youth) Physio: Eoin Jess Scouts: Andy McWilliam, Craig Graham, Scott Dunn The Squad | Pkd | Inf | Name | No. | Squad Status | Cnt | Weekly wage | Expires | Value | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | | Salvatore Foti | 21 | Key Player | F/T | £7,750 | 30.6.2017 | £2.9M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | GK | Wnt | Wayne Henderson | 24 | Key Player | F/T | £4,700 | 30.6.2019 | £450K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | | Jaroslaw Fojut | 12 | First Team | F/T | £3,100 | 30.6.2017 | £230K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DC | Wnt | Chris Baird | 20 | First Team | F/T | £2,500 | 30.6.2017 | £30K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MR | | Franck Moussa | 7 | First Team | F/T | £6,750 | 30.6.2017 | £2.3M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S2 | Bid | Laurence Nelson | 32 | First Team | F/T | £4,500 | 30.6.2020 | £550K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | AMC | Wnt | Gerrit Falix | 8 | First Team | F/T | £7,250 | 30.6.2017 | £550K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | ML | | Danny McCoy | 11 | First Team | F/T | £3,100 | 30.6.2017 | £1.7M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | Inj | Lars Roland | 16 | First Team | F/T | £3,800 | 30.6.2018 | £1.5M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Josué Fernández | 28 | First Team | F/T | £3,400 | 30.6.2018 | £700K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DR | | Rasmus Dudek | 36 | First Team | F/T | £3,000 | 30.6.2020 | £1.7M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S1 | | Glenn Wilson | 2 | Rotation | F/T | £1,300 | 30.6.2017 | £16K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Scott Gallacher | 27 | Rotation | F/T | £5,000 | 30.6.2017 | £35K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Craig Green | 35 | Rotation | F/T | £3,600 | 30.6.2017 | £95K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DMC | | Juho Heinonen | 5 | Rotation | F/T | £2,500 | 30.6.2017 | £2.5M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DL | Inj | Robert Markovic | 18 | Rotation | F/T | £1,900 | 30.6.2018 | £1M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S5 | Inj | Conall Hawe | 9 | Rotation | F/T | £1,200 | 30.6.2019 | £800K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Pavlin Mihaylov | - | Rotation | F/T | £625 | 30.6.2019 | £1.5M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Roy Simons | - | Rotation | F/T | £475 | 30.6.2019 | £80K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Manuel Arévalo | - | Rotation | F/T | £550 | 30.6.2019 | £80K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S4 | | Paul Hayes | 31 | Backup | F/T | £1,500 | 30.6.2018 | £3K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Thierry Palma | 26 | Backup | F/T | £325 | 30.6.2017 | £50K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Jon Lumsden | 19 | Backup | F/T | £3,100 | 30.6.2017 | £80K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | John Middleton | 14 | Backup | F/T | £625 | 30.6.2017 | £24K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | S3 | | Murray Kelly | 15 | Backup | F/T | £925 | 30.6.2018 | £1M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Adam Sherwood | - | Backup | F/T | £800 | 30.6.2017 | £1.1M | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Justin Lomax | - | Backup | F/T | £230 | 30.6.2018 | £150K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | James McCraw | 33 | Hot Prospect | F/T | £325 | 30.6.2019 | £45K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Paul Miskelly | - | Hot Prospect | F/T | £400 | 30.6.2017 | £65K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Alan Farley | - | Hot Prospect | F/T | £925 | 30.6.2018 | £30K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Stefan Johansson | - | Hot Prospect | F/T | £325 | 30.6.2018 | £180K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Sébastien Rhazdis | - | Hot Prospect | F/T | £725 | 30.6.2021 | £50K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Giorgos Samaras | - | Hot Prospect | F/T | £80 | 30.6.2019 | £35K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Shane Bayliss | - | Hot Prospect | F/T | £170 | 30.6.2018 | £14K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Mike Tobin | - | Youngster | F/T | £650 | 30.6.2017 | £50K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Ahti Oja | - | Youngster | F/T | £550 | 30.6.2017 | £35K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Farid Wanzi | - | Youngster | F/T | £750 | 30.6.2019 | £30K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Rory Smyth | 4 | Youngster | F/T | £275 | 30.6.2017 | £12K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Anne Esser | 30 | Youngster | F/T | £1,500 | 30.6.2018 | £40K | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Murray Cowie | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2017 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Justin Slater | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2017 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Adam Heath | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2017 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Grégory Champion | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2017 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Ross Davis | - | Youngster | Yth | £100 | 30.6.2017 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Yth | Sam Foxe | - | Youngster | Yth | £95 | 30.6.2017 | - | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Wage Budget: £227,535 Total Weekly Wages at 31/7/16: £82,985 Senior Players: 20 Reserve Players: 25 U-18 Players: 13 [Note that players classed as Backup, Prospect or Youngster will not be profiled (with a few exceptions), and are regarded as reserve players] Player [Pos, Nationality, Height, Age] – Rushden Seasons, Rushden League Games, Rushden League Goals Goalkeepers Scott Gallacher [GK, SCO, 180cm, 26] – 3, 39, 0 Looked a bit more solid last season – belatedly, I suppose, but better late than never. I'm still not confident with him as the number one, which is part of why I re-signed Henderson, but at least he will be good enough to keep us going while the younger ones develop. Wayne Henderson [GK, IRE – 2 caps, 180cm, 32] – 4, 103, 0 Had a tremendous run towards the end of last season, with a series of clean sheets ensuring we took the title. He didn't do too badly last time we were in the Championship, and hopefully the experience of the last few seasons will see him do even better. Roy Simons [GK, HOL, 181cm, 19] – 0, 0, 0 A player with huge potential who has already excited the fans. He is the clear choice to take over as backup to Gallacher next season, and then probably the first choice in 19/20. He's already played at senior level with De Graafschap, and shouldn't be far away here. Defenders Chris Baird [D RC, NIR – 50 caps, 186cm, 34] – 1, 30, 0 Did just what he needed to do last season, providing a presence at the back. He will need to do so again in what is probably his last season. Rasmus Dudek [D RC, DEN – 1 U21 cap, 189cm, 21] – 2, 42, 1 Another excellent season, and thankfully signed up for four more years. His ability in the air is a real bonus, and he is not as slow as a lot of other big men. English League One Young Player of the Month November 2015, April 2016 Jaroslaw Fojut [D C, POL – 6 caps, 188cm, 28] – 1, 3, 0 Another physical presence at the back, Fojut was unfortunately put out for an extended period soon after arriving from Reading. He has a handful of Championship and Premiership games under his belt, so should not be out of place at this level. Craig Green [D RLC, SCO – 8 U21 caps, 182cm, 24] – 2, 21, 0 Played 21 league games last season, but never looked a regular in the senior side. His versatility is useful, but if he doesn't secure a spot, he'll be spending a lot of time in the seconds. Juho Heinonen [D C/DM, FIN – 4 caps, 184cm, 21] – 2, 54, 2 Actually had a much better season than his first where he was named Supporters' Player of the Year. He was great rotating at defensive midfield with Koopman, but now he is on his own. Quite a lot of pressure to place on a young player. Rushden Supporters' Player of the Year 14/15; League One Young Player of the Month September 2015, February 2016 Robert Markovic [D L, AUT – 2 caps, 180cm, 23] – 2, 38, 0 Was thankfully free of injury last season, and was a regular at left back. He was certainly one of our better players, and his skill will be valuable again. Pavlin Mihaylov [sw/D RC, BUL – 2 caps, 181cm, 19] – 0, 0, 0 One of a few young new signings, Mihaylov does not look particularly impressive. He's played a handful of senior games with Loko (Plovdiv), but will start in the reserves here. Laurence Nelson [D R, ASA – 21 Caps, 180cm, 25] – 2, 26, 0 Still struggling to meet his potential, but with other right backs Lumsden and Middleton not coming along either, I re-signed Nelson on rather excessive wages just to ensure we had a regular at right back. Glenn Wilson [D RC, WAL, 186cm, 30] – 10, 255, 4 Played his fewest number of games since back in 07/08, but his experience and leadership are still a valuable part of our defence. English Players' League Two Select 10/11; English Players' League One Select 11/12 Midfielders Manuel Arévalo [M C, ESP, 177cm, 17] – 0, 0, 0 Too young to play in the seniors at this point, but has a lot of promise. He played very well for Sporting B last season despite his youth, and his ₤80K fee looks more than reasonable. He could also replace Heinonen at defensive midfield in a pinch. Gerrit Falix [AM/F C, HOL, 180cm, 25] – 1, 24, 7 A very good player at attacking midfield, using his fine pace and shooting skills to great advantage. A key player this season. Josué Fernández [AM R, ESP, 180cm, 22] – 2, 36, 1 Again reasonable last season, but is not nearly enough of a threat – just three assists and one goal in 36 league games is not good enough. He will be under a bit of pressure as soon as I find another option for the right wing. Paul Hayes [AM RL/ST, ENG, 183cm, 32] – 2, 16, 2 Re-signed very late in the pre-season, Hayes is one of those players who looks good on paper but struggles to find a spot. He is an option on the right wing if Fernández fails to fire, but he's here for no more than depth. Murray Kelly [AM C, SCO – 1 U21 cap, 175cm, 21] – 1, 0, 0 Should be ready to step up now. Kelly hasn't played a senior game for us yet, but is valued at ₤1M and is set to take a playmaking role in the midfield. Danny McCoy [AM L, WAL, 181cm, 25] – 1, 29, 0 Stepped up when Zutautas and Zakrzewski were sold, taking over on the left wing. Like Fernández, he needs to have more of a scoring impact, but otherwise is a good player. Franck Moussa [AM RC, AUS – 18 caps, 177cm, 28] – 1, 31, 3 I said he was a quality player last season, and Moussa did nothing to dispute that. If Falix and possibly Kelly can hold down attacking midfield, Moussa will definitely take over on the right wing, and should have a big impact. He's one of many players I hope to re-sign this year. Named in English Players' League One Select 15/16 Adam Sherwood [AM RLC, ENG, 180cm, 19] – 1, 0, 0 Was pretty flat on loan at Notts County last season, but may be an outside chance of playing this year. Has class, strength and superb fitness. Forwards Salvatore Foti [AM L/ST, ITA – 6 U21 caps, 183cm, 27] – 1, 34, 15 Clearly our best player last season. Foti was an absolute monster up forward with his aerial ability, but used it more often to play his partner through than to score himself. He really struggled in Serie A with Sampdoria, but hopefully will do better at Championship level. Another player I need to re-sign. English League One Player of the Month April 2016; Named in English Players' League One Select 15/16; Supporters' Player of the Year 15/16 Conall Hawe [sT, NIR – 1 cap, 179cm, 19] – 1, 5, 0 Acquired in a part-exchange deal as little more than an afterthought, I was originally impressed by Hawe, but he failed to perform. Will have to work hard to get a senior spot. Lars Roland [AM L/ST, DEN, 181cm, 24] – 6, 85, 37 Scored almost as many league goals last season as he did in the five seasons before it. He's a little slow to be the ideal partner for Foti, but is unquestionably a talented player who will form a key part of our side. English League Two Young Player of the Month January 2013; English League Two Player of the Month February 2013; Named in English Players' League Two Select 12/13 Overview With the loss of Koopman, I think this is actually a weaker squad than it was last season. There may be a few players on the rise, but the senior squad as I see it at this point is smaller than last season. Much will depend on who steps up, which will mean a lot of chopping and changing of the side – not ideal when you are trying to avoid relegation. I'm particularly concerned about our lack of striking depth – if Foti or Roland goes down or is out of form for an extended period, I don't see any reliable backups. A mid-season transfer may be on the cards, but I'll wait to see who steps up. First XI I'll stick with the 4-4-2 diamond formation for now, but that's a lot of pressure on Heinonen without a backup for his position. GK: Wayne Henderson RB: Rasmus Dudek LB: Robert Markovic CB: Chris Baird CB: Jaroslaw Fojut DM: Juho Heinonen RM: Franck Moussa LM: Danny McCoy AM: Gerrit Falix CF: Salvatore Foti CF: Lars Roland Sub: Laurence Nelson Sub: Glenn Wilson Sub: Murray Kelly Sub: Conall Hawe Sub: Paul Hayes Captain: Glenn Wilson Penalties: Salvatore Foti, Paul Hayes, Lars Roland Free Kicks: (L) Robert Markovic; ® Juho Heinonen, Josué Fernández Corners: (L) Salvatore Foti; ® Conall Hawe, Lawrence Nelson Throw Ins: (L) Danny McCoy, Robert Markovic; ® Glenn Wilson, Franck Moussa Playmaker: Murray Kelly, Salvatore Foti, Lars Roland Target Man: Salvatore Foti, Lars Roland, Rasmus Dudek Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 August, 2016 West Brom, Championship, Home We were missing Roland and Hawe for our return to the Championship, with both expected to be out for the month, which immediately made a mess of my plans. Markovic was also unfit, having missed a few games with injury. Craig Green took over at left back, Falix partnered Foti, Kelly made his début in the middle and Fernández and Sherwood came onto the bench. It was a thrilling opening minute, with Henderson catching a cross and starting a counter-attack which saw Falix fire in a shot from outside the area. It was knocked to Kelly, who volleyed over. Foti put another shot over in the second minute, as did West Brom. We nearly had a disaster in the 6th when Henderson came out for a clearance and hit his pass straight into an opponent, but even through a West Brom player got to it first, the shot went wide. In the 8th, Falix hit a high ball forward, and as usual, Foti won the ball in the air. Also as usual, it was to play through a team-mate – debutant Kelly, who scored. Falix came into the area in the 11th, but passed back to defender Craig Green. He hit the ball back into the area, and there to slot it past the keeper was Kelly. Two goals in three minutes on début. It was 3-0 in the 27th when Moussa's shot was parried to Foti for a tap-in, but West Brom got one back before the break. The defence was outpaced at times, but with strength and good keeping, we held off countless attacks until the 77th minute. That still left us 13 minutes to defend one goal, and our cause was not helped when Fojut went off injured. Henderson also picked up a knock, but I was out of substitutions. Somehow, we held on for the final moments to take three valuable points. It came at a cost, with Henderson out for a fortnight, but luckily Fojut was okay. Brentford, Championship, Away After a handful of chances, Foti charged past a defender and blasted a shot past the keeper in the 38th. Ten shots, just one goal in the first half. Heinonen put a free kick off the bar in the second, but with Gallacher doing a great job in goal and Green clearing one that got through off the line, we made it two wins from our first couple of Championship games. Blackburn, Championship, Home Adam Sherwood made his début on the left wing. A brilliant header from Foti was matched by an incredible run around two defenders by partner Falix, but unfortunately his shot was not up to scratch, going well over the bar. Rushden were the better side, but the side was remarkably exhausted, and could not keep it up. Blackburn scored from a corner and we were constantly denied. With just three minutes to go, Moussa hit in a corner from Falix to make it 1-1. Just one point, but better than nothing. I cleared up a fair portion of the squad, loaning out Esser to Luton, Miskelly to Boston Utd and Johansson to Colchester. I also sold Jon Lumsden to Aberdeen for ₤65K, barely half of what I paid for him. I rarely make purchases, so it's frustrating when they don't work out. Gillingham, Championship, Away With our recent form, I expected a win against one of the weakest sides in the league. Instead, we tumbled 0-2 and lost Craig Green with broken ribs. One little bit of interesting news – former Rushden player Laurie Dalla Valle joined Palermo for ₤16M. I can't believe I only sold him for ₤2.4M. The worst bit is that we've already collected his sell-on clause, so we got nothing for this move. Coventry, League Cup 1st round, Home Foti had a goal disallowed in the 4th minute, but a fine run from partner Falix saw him put one past veteran keeper Roy Carroll on the break. A terrible clearance from Carroll gifted Falix a second in the 19th and Heinonen lobbed one in from 25 yards before half time. Coventry got one back in the final moments of the game, but 3-1 was enough. Ipswich, Championship, Away Like our game against Gillingham, we were expected to win but instead conceded two goals in the first half. Luckily,one was ruled out, but we were still a goal down at half time. Foti helped us get one back, setting up a move that allowed Hawe to cross to Kelly to tap into an open goal. Kelly was also involved in our second, passing to McCoy, who rounded the keeper to score with ten minutes left. Palma, in the side with Roland still injured, missed an absolute sitter of a header, but made up for it by passing to Foti for a sealer in injury time. 3-1. Concerned over our lack of striking depth, highlighted by the absence of Roland, I signed a player on loan. Lewis Williams [sT, WAL – 2 U21 caps, 179cm, 23] – 0, 0, 0 On loan from Leicester Ironically from our former parent team, Williams is similar to Foti in that he's slow but great in the air despite his diminutive size. He's also great from frees and off the ball, so should be a real danger man. He scored 15 goals in 31 league games with QPR in the Championship in 14/15, and I hope he can be similarly effective for Rushden. Middlesbrough, Championship, Home Wayne Henderson finally returned to the seniors. Again we had a flat first half, but a long header from Wilson played Falix through to score. Henderson was terrific in the second half, leading us to a 1-0 win. Five wins and just one loss in a month where we missed Henderson, Dudek and Roland for the most part. This is certainly a promising start to the season, and could get even better with Williams around. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 September, 2016 Doncaster, Championship, Home A long break between games thanks to an international weekend gave us a chance to get a few players back. Dudek returned at the back and Roland started on the bench. Kelly had a couple of shots saved before Falix tapped in from point-blank range when a Baird header was parried. Doncaster made it 1-1 in the 25th. It took a while, but a 25-yard lob from McCoy gave Foti the chance to score from a rare headed shot. Normally he sets up goals with headers rather than scoring them himself. Doncaster had a free right on the edge of the area in injury time, but it went over and we finished 2-1 winners. Hull, Championship, Away Foti took his first break of the season, and with Roland still not fit enough to start, Williams played his first game for Rushden. It was Markovic who put us ahead, scoring in the 20th from a 25-yard free. We conceded a goal to a wild pass in the 58th and though we were probably the better side, eventually fell to a second Hull goal. Roland played his first game of the season off the bench. Tranmere, Championship, Away Foti was back as Kelly took his first rest of the season. Tranmere had a goal cancelled due to an earlier foul, but we were caught out by a quick break and let through a goal just after half time. A second a couple of minutes later gave us two losses in a row. We actually had more shots, but failed to do much with them. West Ham, League Cup 2nd round, Away A Premiership opponent, but we do have a good record against sides in divisions above us. Fernandez came close to scoring when Kelly played him through, but he failed to round the keeper. West Ham scored in the 23rd but Hawe earned a penalty in the 34th...which Foti had saved. We got another penalty in the 54th when Kelly was shoved over, but AGAIN Foti's shot was saved. To rub it in, West Ham scored a second two minutes later. Amazingly, we got a third penalty in the 80th when Hawe was again taken down, and finally Foti got it in. With three minutes left, Hawe hooked a free into the box, and there was Foti, redeeming himself with a second goal. With extra time uneventful, the game went to penalties. We have a terrible record in these, and after missing two of three in this game, my hopes weren't high. Ironically, Foti scored the first shot, and Henderson made a save to put us ahead. Roland, Markovic and Nelson were also successful, and with a second save to Henderson, we didn't even need a fifth shot. Preston, Championship, Home Foti, Hawe and Nelson took a break after that marathon game. A sharp pass from Kelly saw loanee Williams score his first goal for the club in the 27th, but he lost partner Roland to injury before half time. Preston pulled level in the 38th. We opened the half aggressively, but both Kelly and Williams could only hit the side netting. Dudek and McCoy were on target, but had their shots saved. Finally Williams put through a second for a deserved 2-1 win. Huddersfield, Championship, Away With Markovic joining Green on the injury list and Miskelly and Johansson on loan, I had to bring up Ahti Oja at left back – his first senior game since 10/11! Amazingly, both Oja and Moussa were forced off the pitch with injuries in the opening ten minutes. Nonetheless, Dudek headed us into the lead in the 21st. We had some luck, with Huddersfield hitting the bar twice, but Foti made it 2-0 early in the second half with a long header. Fernández, who replaced Moussa, got our third, and it ended 3-0. Moussa was put out for a month, Oja for two. Dudek was named Young Player of the Month, with Heinonen third. The injury toll is looking a little worrying, but we are scoring regularly and have a solid back half. I honestly did not even contemplate promotion to the Premier Division, wanting only to survive. However, We're sitting in second spot with a quarter of the season down, and have just one loss in a dozen league games. Anything can happen in the remainder of the season, but this is a very promising start. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 October, 2016 Wigan, Championship, Home We were a goal down after just two minutes and looked bad in the first half. Falix had one good chance after an incisive pass from Nelson, but put it wide. Definitely our worst game of the season, with no real spark or flair all game. The stadium expansion was completed, taking us to a total capacity of 16,350 (14,550) Southampton, Championship, Away Despite a fortnight's break, we actually wound up with even fewer players to choose from, with Fernández suffering a thigh strain at training, putting him out for the month. Our problems were compounded by McCoy picking up an injury in the opening minutes. I was so short on midfielders that I had to bring Glenn Wilson on the right wing, with Sherwood on the left. Kelly missed a couple of late shots in the scoreless draw. McCoy and Dudek, injured in the final seconds, were both put out for the rest of the month. QPR, Championship, Home Our newly expanded stadium saw barely half-strength Rushden side, with Hayes and John Middleton called up from the reserves due to our injury crisis. Amazingly though, it was Middleton who put us into the lead, receiving a Nelson free in the area and hitting home a 35th minute goal. Roland missed a simple shot to extend the lead but with a QPR player sent off in the second half, we were comfortable winners in front of a record 16,320 fans. Northampton, Championship, Home Our rivals have followed us up to the Championship, but aren't doing nearly as well, sitting in 23rd spot. Connall Hawe finally scored his first goal for Rushden after his part-exchange move last season, and made it a brace in the 31st. Foti sealed it 3-0. Chelsea, League Cup 3rd Round, Away Yet again we've drawn Chelsea in the League Cup, and having defeated them on the past three occasions, perhaps that isn't a bad thing. Moussa grazed the bar with a shot in the first 90 seconds, and really should have scored. Chelsea took advantage with a goal seconds later but a long ball from Nelson saw Foti head an equaliser into the corner. Chelsea were back in front in the 36th but again the Nelson/Foti combination saw an equaliser, this time with 20 minutes to go. We lost Moussa to injury and Arjen Robben looked certain to score for Chelsea when Henderson was left one-on-one and out of position, but he somehow made the save and took the game to extra time. Foti looked tired, but I kept him on, and it paid off when he took a long pass from Heinonen, broke past the defenders and completed his hat-trick two minutes into extra time. That solo effort was enough for another Rushden win over Chelsea. A record crowd of 16,339, record gate receipts of ₤400K. Norwich, Championship, Away Craig Green finally returned to cover left back. Heinonen scored a free from the edge of the area early in the game, but Baird gave away a penalty deep in first half injury time which saw Norwich draw level. Having been hit by injury and then poor form, Lars Roland finally scored his first of the season in the second half. Norwich had a goal ruled out in the 70th, but scored with three minutes to go to finish the game with a draw. Heinonen was third as Player of the Month and was named Young Player of the Month. I sold Dutch midfielder Anne Esser to Melbourne Victory for ₤55K after he failed to impress with Rushden over the past two years or with Luton on loan this season. | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Blackburn | | 16 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 19 | 7 | +12 | 31 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Rushden | | 16 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 23 | 15 | +8 | 30 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Hull | | 16 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 25 | 19 | +6 | 30 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Burnley | | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 21 | 12 | +9 | 29 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Ipswich | | 16 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 27 | 21 | +6 | 29 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Crystal Palace | | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 33 | 22 | +11 | 28 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | West Brom | | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 24 | 16 | +8 | 26 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Middlesbrough | | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 16 | +5 | 26 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Southampton | | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 23 | 16 | +7 | 24 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Wigan | | 16 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 19 | 15 | +4 | 24 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Norwich | | 16 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 22 | -2 | 23 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Tranmere | | 16 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 24 | 22 | +2 | 22 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Preston | | 16 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 25 | 26 | -1 | 22 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Bradford | | 16 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 20 | 24 | -4 | 22 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Portsmouth | | 16 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 16 | -1 | 21 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Q.P.R. | | 16 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 17 | 25 | -8 | 19 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Gillingham | | 16 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 21 | -7 | 18 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Doncaster | | 16 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 23 | -8 | 18 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Watford | | 16 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 20 | 22 | -2 | 17 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Huddersfield | | 16 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 14 | 18 | -4 | 17 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Southend | | 16 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 19 | -8 | 16 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Stoke | | 16 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 24 | -9 | 15 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Northampton | | 16 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 21 | 27 | -6 | 13 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | | Brentford | | 16 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 17 | 35 | -18 | 12 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 November 2016 Burnley, Championship, Away This was a big match, with 2nd placed Rushden against 4th placed Burnley. We got an advantage when a Burnley player was sent off for a professional foul after only a couple of minutes, and Heinonen scored his second in as many games from a free. Hawe was extremely close to scoring twice in the second half but we still only needed the one goal. It came at a cost, with Foti out for the month with a hamstring injury. Portsmouth, Championship, Home A free from Middleton into the area saw Hawe score a sharpshooter's goal, which was immediately answered at the other end. It was level at half time, but Rushden controlled the second half of the game, and through goals to Kelly and Hawe, we finished 3-1 winners. Sheffield Wednesday, League Cup, round 3, Home An even game with just one goal, with Lewis Williams putting us through to the fourth round. Again the win came at a cost, with Wayne Henderson put out for three months with a hip injury. Crystal Palace, Championship, Home Though we'd lost another key player to injury, one returned and put us ahead in the 14th minute – Lars Roland. Palace scored on both sides of the break to take the lead, but Falix levelled the scores by rounding the keeper after a fine run. That was as close as we could get – not bad without our top striker and keeper, but we'll need to make do without them both for a while. Southend, Championship, Away This was a less than impressive performance against a relegation-threatened opponent. We were playing catch-up after conceding an early goal and were still down at the break. A blast at half time saw the side come out a lot harder, and Williams levelled the score in the 60th. However, it was not until the 81st minute that Hayes finally put us ahead with a penalty, and we scraped away with three points. Bradford, Championship, Away Markovic and Fernández returned for this game. A massive deflection off Dudek gave Bradford a 31st minute lead from a free, but he made up for it by heading in an equaliser in the second half. They again got lucky in the second half, with an errant pass somehow finding the goal, but Hawe managed to get us one point with a late goal. It was our ninth straight league game without a loss, but we're not convincing. Stoke, Championship, Home Another player back, this time left winger Danny McCoy. The first half was flat, but a long ball from Moussa gave Roland a a goal in the 51st. Hawe stole the ball from a defender in the box to make it a comfortable 2-0 win. Fojut was named Player of the Month, with Baird third and Heinonen was Young Player of the Month – a fine indication of our strong defence. I was Manager of the Month, after we finished with four wins and two draws from November. | Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Blackburn | | 22 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 29 | 10 | +19 | 44 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Hull | | 22 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 22 | +14 | 44 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Rushden | | 22 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 35 | 21 | +14 | 44 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Ipswich | | 22 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 35 | 23 | +12 | 43 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Burnley | | 22 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 30 | 15 | +15 | 40 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Middlesbrough | | 22 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 27 | 20 | +7 | 37 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | West Brom | | 22 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 31 | 24 | +7 | 32 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Norwich | | 22 | 10 | 2 | 10 | 29 | 27 | +2 | 32 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Crystal Palace | | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 38 | 32 | +6 | 30 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Tranmere | | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 36 | 31 | +5 | 30 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Southampton | | 22 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 28 | 26 | +2 | 30 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Portsmouth | | 22 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 30 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Wigan | | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 29 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Bradford | | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 28 | 32 | -4 | 29 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Preston | | 22 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 33 | 36 | -3 | 28 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Watford | | 22 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 28 | 27 | +1 | 27 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Northampton | | 22 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 30 | 32 | -2 | 26 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Doncaster | | 22 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 21 | 33 | -12 | 25 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Gillingham | | 22 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 29 | -12 | 23 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Q.P.R. | | 22 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 23 | 35 | -12 | 21 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Huddersfield | | 22 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 15 | 29 | -14 | 21 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Brentford | | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 27 | 44 | -17 | 21 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Southend | | 22 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 25 | -11 | 20 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | | Stoke | | 22 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 20 | 37 | -17 | 19 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 December 2016 Watford, Championship, Away Williams continued his impressive loan spell, scoring his 5th goal for the club and setting up Roland to make it 2-0 after the first half. 2-0 was the finish. I re-signed Green and Sherwood after the game, but I'm in a lot of trouble, with Heinonen, Foti, Moussa and McCoy among those refusing new deals. West Brom, Championship, Away Defender Pavlin Mihaylov made his début after fine reserve form. A brilliant long ball from Hawe set up Marcus Kelly, but he missed a simple shot. We conceded a goal at the other end and a second in injury time. Roland took just 24 seconds to give us a goal in the second half and in the 67th minute, headed in a Moussa cross for his 50th goal for Rushden. Markovic gave us an unlikely lead with a free, but a late third to West Brom saw a fair 3-3 draw as the result. Gillingham, Championship, Home Another débutante, this time goalkeeper Roy Simons, taking over from Gallacher in the absence of Henderson. A long ball from Wilson was chased down by Hawe, and he passed to the open Roland for a simple goal. Roland had to go off injured and Sherwood had a headed goal ruled out, but a Man of the Match effort from Simons and late free from Heinonen saw the game finish 2-0. That was our thirteenth straight league game without a loss. Barnsley, League Cup quarter final, Away Simons kept his spot against Premier League opponent Barnsley, but Roland was out with a leg injury. We had two big inclusions though – talented winger Josué Fernández and, even better, monster striker Salvatore Foti, who was still our leading scorer for the season despite missing the last month and a half. Kelly blasted a few ambitious efforts over the bar early, forcing a save with a fourth effort in the 16th minute. Unfortunately, Barnsley did hit the target from long range just before the break and took a two goal lead in the 49th. Even with Foti, there was no comeback, ending our League Cup run and a 15 game unbeaten streak. Brentford, Championship, Home Gallacher was put out for a few weeks with a training injury, cementing Simons' position for the short term. Williams somehow got off a shot in a crowd for a first half lead and Man of the Match Franck Moussa took it to 2-0 before the break. A late goal to Brentford could not cost us the win. Blackburn, Championship, Away Roy Simons made a number of saves before Hawe broke through the defence with a good run to score in the 37th. Just a few minutes later, Dudek tripped an opponent in the area, resulting in an equaliser from the spot. Blackburn were probably the superior team, but Fojut did well at the back and Simons kept out any attacks that got through. 1-1 the final score. I've now got all but the goalkeepers available, and 20-year-old Dutchman Roy Simons is doing a fine job in their absence. Foti hasn't had a big impact since coming back, but I think it's only a matter of time before he gets back to his form from earlier in the season. We finished 2016 on top of the table, but it's very tight in the promotion area and a few bad results could see us slip down quickly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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