Saturday 28 February 2015 19:51, UK
Peter Beagrie has his say on the main talking points in the Football League this week, including his predictions for the East Anglian derby and Lee Johnson's decision to leave Oldham for Barnsley...
There are some titanic tussles in the Championship this weekend with the bottom four in action against each other in gladiatorial six-pointers.
However, top billing must go to Norwich against Ipswich. It’s third versus fifth, and they are separated by a solitary point. Regional pride and three incredibly valuable points await the victor.
There is a genuine dislike and rivalry between the clubs which has to be witnessed to be believed. They are deeply passionate fans who had polar opposite beliefs on their side’s chances at the start of the season but now have the scent of promotion filling their nostrils.
Mick McCarthy has worked miracles at Ipswich Town this season on a budget best described as non-existent, galvanizing talented youngsters and seasoned pros. The team respond to Mick's demands of honesty, hard work, structure and togetherness, allied with partnerships all over the pitch.
His signings have all played a significant part. Freddie Sears, Luke Varney, Noel Hunt and Richard Chaplow would have hardly had the fans in raptures when signed but are all solid citizens benefitting from Mick’s belief that they can add to the group. Sears and Hunt have already grabbed match-winning goals.
Much like the contrast in their kit colours, Norwich City are blessed with a squad only rivalled by Cardiff, Derby and Middlesbrough in terms of size and quality. They have awoken from their slumber, stopped feeling sorry for themselves and under Alex Neil are playing to their full potential, winning seven of their last nine games.
Blessed with a plethora of strikers and midfield playmakers, Neil, a novice in managerial terms, looks to have a steely, no-nonsense approach and has provoked a response that looked beyond Norwich halfway through the season.
Individuals who were struggling look re-energised, in particular Lewis Grabban. Wes Hoolahan is finally getting some games and the capture of Graham Dorrans are all indications that Norwich are now capable of challenging for the automatic promotion spots at the very least.
This is a very hard game to predict, with the first goal vitally important. For Ipswich, it’s a tough start to their next four games, which reads Norwich (h), Leeds (a), Brentford (h) and Middlesbrough (a). If this run is to start with a win, 21-goal Daryl Murphy’s new partnership with born-again Sears has to be given the right service from Mr Assist Paul Anderson.
Norwich’s 4-2-3-1 formation provides threats from virtually every outfield position but their recent realisation that you need to put you bodies on the line defensively to get reward in the Championship gives them the edge. They must score early to settle any nerves.
The three players behind Grabban – Nathan Redmond, Jonny Howson and Hoolahan – should find space between the 4-4-2 that Ipswich will deploy. That should bear fruit.
However, Ipswich’s attitude and application thus far have left a lot of teams who underestimated them with egg on their face. My last East Anglian derby at Carrow Road ended 2-2 and I feel the spoils will be shared in this one. This fence I’m sitting on must be solid in order to support my weight!
Do Eddie’s boys have the know-Howe?
Bournemouth have had an unbelievably consistent season thus far but have recently not been as fluent or reliable in defence or attack.
No wins in the last four and just one clean sheet in their last eight is significant in respect that this is the business end of the season where the pressure continues to build.
Renowned for their precise passing and possession-based game, this is the first time their decision making has been called into question. They are still getting into great areas and dominating the football but are coming up short with the final pass or shot, leaving their manager Eddie Howe very frustrated, I’m sure.
It would be a real shame for the Championship’s entertainers to come up short of the play-offs but nothing can be taken for granted as the logjam at the top of the table creates no room for error. Two home games against Birmingham and Wolves won’t bring any respite but do offer a chance for Bournemouth to regain their mojo in front of their home fans.
The players have to clear their minds and Howe’s management skills will be severely tested as he searches to relieve the pressure. That pressure should be welcomed and embraced as the pressure at the bottom of the table in the battle for survival is far, far greater and less welcome.
Johnson's no fool
It wasn’t a surprise for me that Lee Johnson left Oldham for Barnsley.
In a division where five points separates seventh and 17th, the two points and seven places between Oldham and Barnsley are insignificant when you look at the bigger picture. Lee has obviously signed a vastly improved three-year contract and will be given funds to invest in new players. Having the final say on everything on the football side of things that has excellent facilities and a top-five budget in League One means Lee would have been a fool to turn this opportunity down.
Johnson will believe he can claw back the four-point deficit that separates Barnsley and Bradford City, who occupy the final play-off place.
Barnsley allegedly had some young and hungry managers on their shortlist – Uwe Rosler, Shaun Derry, Mark Cooper – but Johnson is the man they have secured. He has very good contacts abroad and north of the border, can coach various systems and will embrace the excellent support team that impressive CEO Ben Mansford has recruited at the club.
Johnson has a steely resolve and doesn’t suffer anyone not willing to respect him and his players. His move went very smoothly, which is a credit to both clubs, but Oldham seem quite adamant that there will be no haste or desperation to appoint a replacement anytime soon. They have trusted first-team coach Dean Holden with the job for the foreseeable future.
Paul Scholes has been linked, seriously or mischievously, only time will tell. I suggest that with a small budget you need someone with excellent contacts and a good track record that knows this division inside out. Unless Oldham take a leaf out of Swindon’s book and employ Scholes to recruit quality youngsters from Manchester United – as Swindon did with Tottenham – then everybody’s a winner.
I personally wish Oldham all the best in their managerial search and their quest for a play-off place.
Seasiders swimming against the tide
There is a quote that reads “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” but if your start is hamstrung to such a degree that you find yourself with virtually no pre-season or players before you’re about to encounter the war of attrition that is the Championship then you are almost doomed to fail.
Blackpool are now 12 points from safety in the league and have shipped four or more goals in four of their last seven games, not to mention conceding 42 shots on goals against Brentford in the week. However, I do have sympathy with Lee Clark.
I have spoken to many Blackpool fans who still turn up, pay their money and support their team even though they are incredibly bitter and resentful that their club has been stripped of the glory it should have basked in with promotion to the Premier League five seasons ago.
The riches the Premier League brings with it should have brought security to a club like Blackpool.
All their star players and hard-working individuals from that time have now gone. Its heart and soul remain with the hardened and dedicated vocal stalwarts who don't believe their club’s owners have the club’s best interest at heart.
Parachute payments have been absorbed and little money has been spent on the team.
Blackpool's owners are not showing a willingness to give them what the fans want, which is the best chance possible of surviving in the division.
Each manager has been forced to wheel and deal in quantity rather than quality. This amateurism in a professional sport has always existed but in the modern world of social media and exposure, there is no hiding place. It would have been a minor miracle if Blackpool had survived after what happened in the game at Burnley before the start of the season when just eight full professionals were joined by trialists.
It was an insult to the fans and the club’s traditions. Anyone who genuinely cared about this football club would not have let this happen.
The club are not showing a willingness to give the fans what they want, which is the best possible chance of surviving in the division.
The Blackpool owners are abusing the fans' loyalty.
