Peter Beagrie - Sky Sports Expert

One step at a time

No surprise to see Foxes out in front

Posted: 04th September 2008 15:08

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Steve Howard goal celeb Leicester v Stockport

Leicester: lead the way

I've been involved in promotion-winning sides that have only had four points on the board after five games.

Peter Beagrie
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If you're a supporter of a League One club, it's easy to look at the league table and panic at this stage of the season.

For example, I'm surprised to see the likes of Peterborough and Southend towards the bottom of the division, but early on the performances are not necessarily reflected by the points tally. Some of the managers I've spoken to have been saying exactly that.

Many of these clubs have a high turnover of players and it takes time for the new faces to gel at the start of the season.

I've been involved in promotion-winning sides that have only had four points on the board after five games. But the players and the managers will know if the signs for improvement are there.

I'm sure the teams around the bottom, like Crewe, Hereford, Cheltenham and Huddersfield might only need one game to act as a turning point and the wins might start coming. I'm sure many of those sides will turn things around and won't be in the relegation places at the end of the season.

Foxes favourites

It's no surprise that Leicester are leading the way. They were favourites for promotion because of the infrastructure at the club and their fantastic 4-0 win at Cheltenham shows what they are capable of.

Often it's the away games that provide the best barometer because with 20,000 supporters behind them you'd expect them to pick up a large majority of their points at home.

I thought that Steve Howard would be the one leading the way for them this year, especially as they have brought in the wide players that they lacked last season.

They've signed the very accomplished Nicky Adams from Bury and also Lloyd Dyer from MK Dons whose goal tally was in double figures last season. Those two should create a lot and I thought Howard would prosper from that.

But it's Matty Fryatt who's stealing all the headlines. It was easy to forget about him with the likes of Howard, Paul Dickov and DJ Campbell there but it's good to see Fryatt responding to the competition for places with four goals in four games.

Mighty Whites?

At the beginning of the season I thought Leeds would be up there and would do so much better without a 15-point handicap.

There's a view that the deduction galvanised and focused the team at the start of last season and now it seems there may be a bit of a hangover from the play-off final defeat to Doncaster.

Gary McAllister has given himself more options with the mobile Luciano Becchio up front with Jermaine Beckford and Enoch Showunmi who can act as an impact player and allows the team to go route one. I still envisage Leeds coming back and mounting a charge.

Oldham and Carlisle are two of the teams that play the best football in the division.

Carlisle proved by winning at places like Nottingham Forest and Leeds in big live games last year that they were no shrinking violets. I look at the structure there and they haven't changed a lot, even though they have cashed in handsomely on Joe Garner.

They play in a way where the central striker has got to be a focal point and hold it up well and Danny Graham does that for them. I saw him as a kid at Middlesbrough and I feel Carlisle play to his strengths, as we saw with a fantastic hat-trick against Yeovil.

They are among the favourites because they're so adept at soaking up pressure and hitting teams on the break. They've got so much pace in the side with Cleveland Taylor and Simon Hackney on the flanks who can supplement that one striker and provide a goal threat.

It might sound funny, but the star of that team for me is actually the left-back Evan Horwood who will go on and play at a higher level. He's big, strong, fearless in the tackle but he has a winger's mentality and will go past people in the final third.

Posh spice?

As I mentioned earlier I though Peterborough would do well. I'm impressed with the level-headedness of their manager, he's well contacted and I think they need a bit of time to settle into the division.

They've added to their strong striking options with Sergio Torres from Wycombe, but they are the epitome of a team that needs some time to gel.

With such great attacking options the goals will come, but defensively they need to make sure the concentration levels are right from the first minute to the last.

Darren Ferguson will be drilling that into his players and I like the fact he's saying he's going for promotion. He's a typical young, hungry manager who doesn't just want to say he's giving it his best shot - he has come out and said the bare minimum he wants is promotion.

But it's a tough division this year, as Peterborough found at home to Hartlepool who are another side who will be there or there abouts.

It just goes to show how competitive League One is going to be.

To send Peter a question CLICK HERE or use the feedback form below...

CAN CANARIES SOAR?
Hi Peter, As a long suffering Canaries fan, do you feel there is any chance of success coming to Carrow Road any time soon? I feel that there is a lot of nonsense going on at board level, and we seem to be relying on loans rather than permanent signings and I 'm not sure how this can promote a real sense of team spirit. Give me some hope .. failing that grab - your boots and get down to Norwich .. I'm sure you'd get a game! Regards, Paul Freeman

PETER REPLIES: Ha ha! I'm not sure if I'd be much of a threat to Wes Hoolahan at the moment!

Unfortunately, the days of parachute payments are long gone for Norwich so things are going to be difficult for them. As far as the squad is concerned, I'd say it's decent without being outstanding. But I think Glenn Roeder did a terrific job at Newcastle and I think he's trying to get a good mix at Norwich. He's very studious and organised but he's got a bubbly character alongside him in Lee Clark who will bring a smile to the players' faces.

Darel Russell has been amazing for them, playing all over the pitch. He's being used as a stand-in striker at the moment but he's getting goals. I also like Hoolahan who operates from the left-hand side but drifts inside and create things. Furthermore they will have no shortage of noisy support from the severely passionate and well-educated football fans in East Anglia.

Will those things be enough to see Norwich gain a play-off spot? I don't think so. But if they finish mid-table this year they can class that as a good season when you look at some of the massive teams with better financial resources in that division.

PLYMOUTH'S PROBLEMS
Hi Peter. As a Plymouth Argyle supporter, I have to say how worried I am at the way things are at Home Park right now - star players all sold, poor quality replacements, a manager who you yourself said looks and sounds like a broken man, pathetic crowds, a board that won't communicate with us, a very real feeling of doom amongst the fan base. A large number of us feel that the writing is on the wall already. How do you see our season panning out? Kind regards Chris Crook

PETER REPLIES: What I can see at Plymouth is a set of fans who trust their manager implicitly, although I'm not sure they have much trust for the board. Before and after the live Sky game last Saturday, Paul Sturrock said things exactly as they were and was totally transparent with the supporters. He said the players were lacking confidence and the performance was indicative of that.

The Plymouth supporters are very passionate, but I've never heard the ground as quiet as it was last weekend. I've been there on numerous occasions and it's always been buzzing and intimidating to opposition players. That was lacking, obviously because of all the transfer dealings. It started with Sylvan Ebanks-Blake last January and carried on with people like David Norris, Dan Gosling, Peter Halmosi and Akos Buzsaky. All of those players had an affinity with the fans and generated excitement among their team-mates. Those were the standout players who could unlock defences when the team were up against it.

If I was a Plymouth fan now I would be worried. The only saving grace is that if anybody can get rid of the negativity it's Sturrock. He's a legend in the Plymouth area and there is no negativity from the fans towards him whatsoever. The fans are behind him, but he needs the board to get behind him as well.

To send Peter a question CLICK HERE or use the feedback form below...

Comments

Jeff Hudson-green (Arsenal fan) says...

hi , i think its about time the points system went like this 0pt lose , 1 pt draw , 2 pts home win , 3 pts away win , my thinking to this is because teams play away for the draw but if they won away they would get 3pts and i would think they would play far better and a home win 2 pts as the home team are expected win , lets get some great football back in england as its getting far to boring

Posted 19:12 10th September 2008

Dean Krol (Leeds United fan) says...

Cheers for the confidence booster Simon, I know we'll be up there at the end of the season, I just couldn't handle another bloomin Wembly defeat is all, it almost felt like I'd lost a family member last year when we lost to Donny. I could've won the lottery that week and still been depressed :-) I hope you're right bud, I'd like to see us go up automatic as out record in the play offs leaves a lot to be desired. If we can keep performing as we did on Saturday against Crewe then we should have no problems. I'm just a bit worried about Gary Mac's constant tinkering with the team though, we're having like, 5 and 6 changes every game. We need stability and you don't get that with constant tinckering. ((fingers, toes and everything the dangles crossed that this is our year))

Posted 02:56 9th September 2008

Steve Harries (Hereford fan) says...

graham turner should give up the reins granted he has turned the club around but it is obvious now that his ways of managing might of been ok at wolves in the 80s but they are not good now, we hope to survive on loan signings which will not happen in nthis league .come on graham sell it up to someone new and freshen things up

Posted 17:35 8th September 2008

Sean Graham (Swindon Town fan) says...

Hi lots of people are saying that swindon have a god chance for the playoffs this season, but im not so sure, we have a good squade but i dont think the board has held its promises about money for good players and im not suer whether malpas is the right man for the job. What do you think?

Posted 14:57 8th September 2008

Yiannaki Yianni (Nottingham Forest fan) says...

Forest fan here!! I'm not here to gloat that we're out of this League, that's gone now. What I am here to say is I fully expect Leeds to get out of this league because they like Leicester don't belong here but are because results have said so (in the past). Leeds didn't overcome the points deduction last year or the leaving of Wise to Newcastle either - did that effect Leeds? I'm sure it did. I'll be suprised if Leicester do get out as neither Forest or Leeds (supposed "big" clubs) didn't on the 1st time of asking & Leicster is not in the same boat as them. Both Forest & Leeds stormed the 1st few months of their 1st season in League 1 but they were found out. I'm sure that Leicester will be too as they are the team to beat more than the rest. The season has only just begun & it's a long way to the finish line.

Posted 12:18 8th September 2008

Chris Johnson (Scunthorpe United fan) says...

Hi, I am wondering if you think Scunthorpe United will be able to keep this form going and win the league again or if we should just try settle for the play offs

Posted 15:58 7th September 2008

Jonathan Levy (Preston North End fan) says...

Kammy, What a fantastic job Alan Irvine is doing at Preston. I also support Everton and so when Irvine left to take over Preston in November last year I was certain they had appointed a potentially brilliant Manager and less than a year after taking over, the future for PNE looks very, very promising. Yes we're only 4 or 5 games into the season but I and many other Preston fans are ever so confident about how we'll do this season. There hasn't been this much optimism at the club for many seasons, not even when Billy Davies was boss. The vast majority of fans believe that Irvine will take us to the Premiership in the next two years, or three at the most. How do you rate Alan Irvine and Preston's chances this season?

Posted 21:10 6th September 2008

Simon Bryan (Leeds United fan) says...

Dean stop worrying mate. We are only a few games into the season, and so many football fans seem to be worrying, especially Leeds fans. It's a long, long season, and remember that Oldham are are bogey team. Our record isn't too bad, we've played 7, won 4, drawn 2, and lost 1 - nothing to panic about yet. In some ways it's better off having a slow start then hitting form later on in the season. We will finish second this year mate, and it will be Leicester or Carlisle that finish above us. We'll get better trust me, Gary Mac will get them playing the right way. Luciano Becchio and Becks will always score goals at this level, they are both proven goalscorers, so it stands to reason that with our support and their goals we'll be there or there abouts come the end of the season.

Posted 21:42 5th September 2008

Max Tickner (Southampton fan) says...

PETER, Having been born and raised in Southampton and living 10 minutes from the old Dell ground I am beginning to wonder if we will ever see the good old days back. Ever since we moved to St Marys the visiting teams fear factor is no longer there. Do we with such a young team,untested manager and loyal but frustrated supporters have any chance of returning and most importantly staying up in the Premier Leagie.

Posted 03:49 5th September 2008

Paul Hutchings (Leicester City fan) says...

Great start to the season for Leicester, you have to remember we had the second best defense in the Championship last term, although we have new defenders, I actually feel these players NP had brought in are younger and have far more potential ( McCarthey sold to Ipswich & Stearman sold to Wolves) NP is an ex center half our defence will concede very few goals. Everyone knew that Fryatt, Howard would score goals for fun down here. The young wingers that have been brought in with MAX GRADEL ( youth system) are full of promise (but still cutting their teeth). My question are Fryatt & Howard, DJ Campbell good enough to fire us to the Premier league?

Posted 03:48 5th September 2008

Lee Craddock (Wolverhampton Wanderers fan) says...

hi peter. im a wolves fan, and bemused at the fact that the view of every critic i read had wolves at mid-table at best, and now we have made the best start out of every team in our league, MM has won manager of the month, and in my opinion, are playing the best football in the league, still no pundit has come out and given us their backing! yes, i know its early days, but surely we are showing signs of promise, and if the style of football we are playing now hasnt got promotion writen all over it (i know im not a pundit, but have been to all our games and have seen all the games from our league on sky) i dont know what is!

Posted 01:35 5th September 2008

Dean Krol (Leeds United fan) says...

Hi Peter, I've been a Leeds fan all of my life and as a result I'm used to the odd (cough cough) disappointment or two. Living in Bradford, most of my mates are huge City fans so as I'm sure you'll have guessed, I take quite a lot of flack being the 'odd one out'. The question I have is this, do you honestly think Leeds have what it takes to gain promotion this season? At the start I really thought we'd be the best team there this year, we kept the big nucleus of the team from last year and added a few top quality signings in Andy Robinson and Luciano Beccio. But yet again, just when my confidence is as high as it can get, the team underperfom. We started with a couple of great perfomances but then had two awful games against Oldham (anyone would have beaten us that day) and again against Yeovil. I just get the feeling that it's going to be another woeful season this year, I fear that if we don't make the top two, we'll have yet another heartbreaker in the play offs. I've read many predictions about our league and most of them tip us and Leicester to go up automatic but after the yo-yo start we've had I'm not so sure. Many thanks and kindest regards, Dean Krol. P.S My mate Mall is a huge city fan and loves you to bits, he's going through a really bad patch at the moment and recently lost his brave girlfriend to cancer. It would mean the world to him if you could say hi to him on here, it would cheer him up bigtime. I bet this is a first for you, a die hard Leeds fan asking you for a favour for a die hard City fan, as they say, there's a first time for everything :-)

Posted 21:36 4th September 2008

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