“Career highlights? Where do you start!” the tongue-in-cheek utterings of Nicky Adams, when introducing himself to his new teammates and Carlisle United’s YouTube channel on a pre-season tour. More recently, his career highlights have involved League Two promotions with Bury and Northampton. It is arguable that he had done well enough with those teams to… Read more →
When Graham Alexander signed Josh Morris from Bradford, he was more enthused in his praise than most managers would be after a signing. Alexander had won League Two promotion with Morris at Fleetwood in 2014, via a play-off final victory over Burton Albion. Reflecting on their time working together, Alexander said the wide man was… Read more →
When Preston North End first came into the Championship, they were a solid, experienced side lacking in pace and attacking invention. The question was whether Simon Grayson, so often labelled a ‘League One manager’ incapable of developing higher-quality players, could move the team on further. The answer has been an emphatic yes. Preston have retained… Read more →
If there is one thing Swansea City fans love in a player, it is the capacity to do something out of the ordinary. Going back to the days of the Vetch Field, Lee Trundle entertained supporters with his endless showboating and knack of scoring spectacular goals. A decade and two promotions later, Gylfi Sigurdsson has received similar adoration.… Read more →
There are plenty of footballers in DN4 who could easily represent Doncaster Rovers in The Football Lab’s League Two Team of the Season. John Marquis has scored 23 goals, Andy Butler has been aerially dominant at centre-back while Jordan Houghton added defensive balance in midfield before his injury last month. The final word however, simply… Read more →
Peterborough United fans who expressed discontent at the summer sale of Erhun Oztumer have been proved right. In an attacking midfield role, the Turk has scored 14 League One goals for new club Walsall, more than any of Posh’s strikers. One of the 14 was an injury-time derby winner against Shrewsbury back in October, which… Read more →
It seems surprising that at 26, Tom Cairney has played only 11 Premier League games. The issue is clearly not technical ability, of which he has shown once again this season to have plenty. What the creative midfielder needed to show it was tactical freedom in a system which suited him. In the top flight,… Read more →
When Kevin De Bruyne first turned up in England, he was a very different player to the one he is now. Whilst having great creativity and dribbling ability, he was criticized for a lack of tactical intelligence and defensive qualities. Those things would take time to develop, time that then Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho did… Read more →
Since November, Exeter City have been a joy to watch. They move the ball smoothly into the final third and the attacking trio of David Wheeler, Ollie Watkins and another forward works well. The striker, either Liam McAlinden or Reuben Reid, drifts into wide areas, creating space for Wheeler and Watkins to make late runs… Read more →
When it comes to rebuilding the careers of talented footballers who have fallen by the wayside, there are few better League One coaches than Keith Hill. The whimsical Mancunian’s latest piece of genius man management has been on Nathaniel Mendez-Laing. The winger’s ability has long been apparent, going back to his Championship days with Peterborough United.… Read more →