Football News: Review Of The Day 12th February 2018
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Review of the Day
Slade Sacked By Grimsby
Following a 3-0 loss at the weekend to Crawley Town, manager Russell Slade has been sacked by Grimsby Town. Slade had been in charge since April 2017 and had not won a game since 9th December. "The board would like to place on record their disappointment with this outcome, but believe there is little choice but to move forward with a new management team," a club statement read. "As highlighted in recent weeks, this is not a decision we have taken lightly. While the board continued to back Russell throughout the season and the recent transfer window, yesterday's 3-0 defeat and a winless run of 12 games cannot be ignored. Despite speculation to the contrary, Russell was on a six-month rolling contract, allowing the club the flexibility to make this decision. He had a strong working relationship with the board and all involved are disappointed to see a good, hardworking and honest man, who cared intensely about the club, lose his job."
Brentford Forward Heads To China
Changchun Yatai have paid an undisclosed fee to sign Danish international striker Lasse Vibe from Brentford. "He's done great for me and I've been a big fan of him while he's been here," Bees head coach Dean Smith told BBC Radio London. "He was a great lad to heave around and is a very intelligent footballer. He will be missed, but he will be replaced. We wish him and his family well."
Bradford Appoint Grayson
Bradford City have replaced Stuart McCall, who was sacked as manager of the club on Monday, with Simon Grayson. Grayson has previously won promotions from League One with Blackpool, Huddersfield, Leeds United and Preston North End and takes charge with the Bantams sat in 6th but without a league win since New Year's Day. Grayson's last job had been with Sunderland, where he was sacked after less than 5 months.
Corks Believes Burnley Will Get Back To Winning Ways
With Burnley on a run of 10 matches without a win, Clarets midfielder Jack Cork has backed his team mates to come through the other side by working hard. "Earlier in the season we were doing exactly the same things but we were nicking it and getting the wins," he said. "Now we're on a different run but these things happen. We knew that it would probably happen at some stage, we're not stupid enough to think that we'd keep winning or keep picking up points. It's all about how we deal with it and how we get out of it now. We need to keep working as hard as we did at the start of the season." Burnley are headed to Portugal for some warm weather training as Sean Dyche looks to boost morale.
Zeegelaar believes Watford Are In A Relagation Battle
After Watford were outplayed by West Ham United at the weekend to lose 2-0, Marvin Zeegelaar believes they are in the thick of the relegation dogfight, despite having got an excellent win over Chelsea in their previous Premier League match. "Of course it is very disappointing and it always is when you lose. We needed the points and we didn't do enough to get them," he said. "That (West Ham's position) makes it worse and we shouldn't lose these games. When we lose they get closer to is and it wasn't a good game. It brings us back down to earth again and it is a reminder that we have to get points as soon possible."
Januzaj Blames Van Gaal For Ruining His Man Utd Career
Former Manchester United youngster Adnan Januzaj has laid the blame squarely at Louis van Gaal's door for his inability to make it at Old Trafford. Under previous manager David Moyes, Januzaj had been an exciting teenager but his career hit the buffers once van Gaal took the hot seat in 2014. Loan spells with Borussia Dortmund and Sunderland were disappointing and he was sold to Real Sociedad in the summer. "I didn't have any chances, really. I wasn't in the race. How can I say this... he (Van Gaal) wasn't giving me the right signals to up my game," Januzaj said. "I was still only a young player. When you have a young player, a manager has to give them confidence. Let them play and grow up. Obviously, that didn't happen under Van Gaal, so it was a very difficult season for me. Before that, David Moyes had trusted me from day one. He understood I was a young player, but when Van Gaal arrived, everything changed, my progression stopped. For a football player, the most important thing is to have a manager who gives you a lot of confidence. Then you go on the pitch and give everything for the manager, the team and the fans. On the pitch, I never think what people are saying. All that matters is to try and look after the ball and do your best. At the time, that was what I was doing. I wanted to show my qualities. But, mentally, it was very tough. As a young player, to take all of this and the criticism, it wasn't easy at all." It does sound like an excuse to me to pass off the criticism aimed at him from all quarters for not working hard enough in training as someone else's fault. If you are dropped you work harder in training to force your way into the manager's thinking, but Januzaj did not and that is why he failed at United, Sunderland and Dortmund.
Celtic Sign Aussie Starlet
Despite failing to failing to make the Australian Institute of Sport Centre Of Excellence or even Canberra's National Youth League squad in the summer, 17 year old Leo Mazis has signed with Glasgow giants Celtic. Fellow Aussie Tom Rogic, an established Celtic and Australia player, took a similar path, after also being rejected by the AIS and junior teams.
Tosun To Stay On Bench Until Everton Are Safe
Sam Allardyce has warned January signing Cenk Tosun he needs to up his fitness levels for English football and told him he will have to wait until Everton are safe before he gets more game time. "He is struggling with the pace of the Premier League which happens to more players than it doesn't to who come in in January," Allardyce added. "There are more that struggle than actually succeed. As time goes on and the more we get closer to our safety the more we can release and see what he's got. When we are safe and moving forward we will still try and finish as high up as we can but we will have an opportunity to put him on the pitch, the most important thing for me at the moment is securing our Premier League status and going from there."
Written by Tris Burke February 12 2018 07:40:05