Goalkeepers
Mark Howard - was involved in some of the pre season games but then he was on the bench when the season commenced with Long preferred. The odd game he did play he did not convince with him being at fault for goals against Hartlepool and also Rotherham. He seemed almost certain to be on his way out when his contract was up at the end of the season but a run of indifferent performances from Long saw him given another chance. He took it with two solid performances in the cup v Fulham and then a long run of clean sheets and almost faultless performances with good handling, command and cross taking. He made some excellent saves too and generally was most impressive looking more like the keeper who had done quite well when he started his United campaign.
There was no question of him being taken out of the team. We were winning, the defence looked tighter and we were barely conceding a goal. The only question marks were his poor distribution which was no better than Long’s and he would routinely each game kick 4 or 5 straight out from dead and from his hands. He had a sloppy couple of games with mistakes versus Wolves and at Swindon but also played well making saves at Tranmere and Crawley. He had little chance on the goals v Hull with clinical finishing. Overall, he suddenly has got back in and forced Clough to have to give him another deal. For me he still has to prove it over a season as his United career has been quite inconsistent and like Long he does have weaknesses in his game and can drop some real ricks. However, we seem more organised generally at the back with him in goal and he did well as we went on such an impressive run. If he maintains his overall form since he came back we should be fine.
Grade B-
George Long - had of course been very decent the previous season and despite him and Howard rotating in pre season it was no surprise when Weir gave Long the nod to start the season. He had shown real promise with some excellent shot stopping, good handling mixed with poor distribution and maybe some questions over his command of the area and ability to organise. These questions started to rise more and more after we had a poor start. To be fair to Long; the way Weir played which saw him continually under pressure and the defence doing things they were not comfortable with did not help matters. However he did make some mistakes and at times did not seem as secure as he had. In short you had the nagging feeling as young as he is for a keeper; he had not quite pushed on or developed his weaknesses and his strengths on shot stopping had not been at same level. Howard came in for a game at Rotherham but was really poor (Long away with England set up) so he was straight back in. Still I would say there were so many questions throughout the team he was not seen as one of main weaknesses. Even when Clough came in; he continued and he played well in some games (one outstanding display at Orient) but also had really some jittery games (Bradford, Crewe, Gillingham, Notts County spring to mind). Questions did start to escalate over his command as he stayed on his line for crosses and through balls and rarely seemed to talk to the defence. However I would still say he had not been awful; just quite ordinary and was simply not making many saves. Still, it was maybe a bit of a surprise when Howard was given a start v Fulham. I did not think this was permanent and if Howard had not played well then I am sure Long would have been straight back in but Howard played really well. He was part of the great run and a number of clean sheets. He commanded better than Long, his handling was better than it had been in the few other games he had come in and there was no reason to go back to Long.
To be fair he came back in against Rotherham and played well not doing anything wrong and made 2 good saves. Not sure what the future holds for him. He is now 20 and has not pushed on as well as the club may have liked. There was talk of him being a future England keeper and was involved in the u20 squads etc but now he is struggling to even be first choice at League One. Some say he needs game but where? If he is deemed not good enough for League One, would a League Two side take him? He has had a meteoric rise and now he has hit his first real sticky spell but is young and in a position where players develop later. He may well come again. He is a good shot stopper and the things like talking, command and organisation may come. He possesses the right build and seems to have a decent attitude. In short, he needs to work hard over the summer and battle for his spot. It is that simple as he is not moving anywhere and unlikely Howard will move on now. He is 28 and knows now he has been quite nomadic for a keeper and needs to establish himself here or will become a bit of a journeyman.
Grade C-
The rest
George Willis - has spent time involved with the first team squad and been on the bench during the last few season. Still only 18; he has plenty of time on his side. Some have said he is a better prospect than Long but now with him being 3rd choice, unsure how they can both get games (you do not play many u21 games and he will soon be too old for the under 18’s (would be a backward step too). Seen him a few times and he is more of a shouter and organised than Long; if not quite as imposing height wise. He could do with some time on loan, even at non league level to get him some experience as otherwise be hard for him to push on. Like Long, the issue is we only have one player who can play and thus he is going to have to keep developing and hope in a few years he may be ready to be a genuine contender for the 1st team.
We also apparently have some other good young keepers coming through with Jake Eastwood involved in the youth set up for various age groups for England although Gareth Owen has been released; with so many other good young keepers around.
Next season
I will be honest and say at this level Howard with Long as his back up is more than acceptable and better than what most teams will have. I will say though that I am unsure either have been consistent or quite good enough if we do seek to move up the league/s; from the evidence so far Both have had good spells but both have had indifferent games and I still feel that it is a position that we will eventually have to improve. I will say that Howard had a really good second half and if he carries that on and Long can get back to his form there is no real issues for League One football with this position.
Returning players;
Player / Position Years remaining (contract expires)
Goalkeepers
Mark Howard Out of contract (2014)
George Willis 1 year (2015)
George Long 2 years(2016)
Defenders
Neill Collins - is a player I have knocked and often pinpointed as a weakness but I have probably been too harsh on him. In recent seasons and other than the first half of this one, our defence (for this level) has been very stingy and he plays nearly every game. He never gets injured, does not pick up many bookings and is a good leader for some of the younger players. He also seems to genuinely care. He has been a decent servant to the club (approaching 170 games played).
When the season started, he seemed quite ill at ease with the new style and the emphasis on keeping it and sometimes he would knock it sideways or over play and lose it. I felt he was one of the players that looked most uncomfortable under Weir. He is not a bad footballer for a centre back but is not a player that can do what Weir wanted (even less so than Maguire) and this led to us losing possession and some really daft goals. He along with others struggled but remained in the side (we had noone else as I pointed out at the time so no completion for places). When Clough came in he seemed to like him and said he was one of the player you wanted when in a dogfight and much like Doyle, despite the criticism, Clough was another who seemed to respect him.
His performances, like the rest of the team gradually improved even more and was part of the defence and side that went on such a good run. He actually missed a game (v Rotherham as was rested as he had been ever present before after this. He too struggled at Wembley and showed against quicker, sharper players he would not be quite good enough. Long term he won’t be here and is entering his last year but you would hope as cruel as it seems he and Maguire (and one other to be brought in) can be part of a defence that takes us up but then he will probably have to be improve on at a higher level (was not good enough when he played there before).
Grade C+
Harry Maguire - has been player of the season for the last two campaigns so despite the notion he maybe had not quite pushed on after such an impressive first season in 2011/12; he still was maybe our key player to start the season. He started alongside Collins again but whilst comfortable on the ball; it did seem that he did not want to have so much of it as Weir wanted. We began to make mistakes in this area and he had some very unconvincing games despite scoring quite a few goals and being our leading scorer for a long time. He picked up a series of daft bookings and did make errors that led to goals (as did a few at the back). The new patient passing game and over play saw him and Collins often knocking it back and forth between themselves but going nowhere really. The game at Rotherham saw this happen time after time and lead to chances and goals. He did keep scoring though and got 2 in Clough’s first game.
Clough clearly liked him and as went on the great run amidst the cup run, then his form got even better as he and Collins got to standards they had set in previous seasons when we had been quite tight at the back. He has some really impressive games as we became so hard to beat or even score against. Only knock was he kept picking up silly bookings or at times still made some silly mistakes by maybe overplaying.
Had a game as captain against Rotherham and was dominating in this game helping a young side (many even younger than him). Did not have his best game at Wembley and the movement and pace coming through caused him issues as he looked quite statuesque at times.
Seems like he has been around forever but only just 21 but he has played 160 games already. I think he will still be a key player moving forward and vital we keep him. Yes, he lacks pace and mobility still (got a bit better and a bit leaner recently) but if he had these qualities he would not be here. I still feel he is good enough (with a quick partner) to easily play Championship (there are lots of worse centre backs at this level – Charlton two for instance) and maybe if he develops even the top league (showed good displays v Benteke, Dempsey but less so v Hull). I have been critical of him at times but he is a really good footballer that can be quite dominant and reads the game really well. Despite the knocks on him, the facts remain that you rarely see such a good intelligent, footballer on such a big unit that can pass and control the ball quite effortlessly. I fear we may lost him this summer but hope we can keep him a bit longer and if we did go up then he would remain as we progress.
Overall I have to say from start to finish he has maybe still been our best player. A little shaky to start the season but he was still one of our better performers and he was consistent much of the way. Others have done well at times (most in the second half) but noone has maybe quite matched his standards all season.
Grade B
Marcus Williams - was nowhere near the first team the previous campaign and seemed to only be here as he still had a contract. He had been training with the youngsters and it just seemed who would blink first (regards to his contract being torn up) but with him having another year on a decent wage I would imagine, we were stuck with him. It was a major surprise when he began the season at left back against Notts County. He actually had a decent game and got up and down the flank, showing some energy and hunger. It did not last long. He was poor in the next two games and like the rest of the defence got torn apart at Brentford. He was dropped and that was it; we never saw him again. He ended up back in the stiffs and then of course moved back to Scunthorpe on loan in January before he left for good and signed a longer deal with them on a permanent basis. He has done well there by all accounts playing wide left as they have gone on a long unbeaten run but not sure he is good enough for League One (as he proved) and expect he will be in a relegation battle with them next season.
Grade F
Tony McMahon - had split opinion between most United fans in his first year at the Lane. He scored some superb free kicks and some decent performances but he also had some poor ones and did not look the established Championship player he had been billed as when he came. His petulant fouls and arguments with officials also further frustrated fans. It seemed like he thought he was better than he was and often switched off arguing rather than playing the game. Despite this he still at times he still showed some ability but it was shown only briefly and I recall as many poor games as good ones. He came back into the side often as we had noone else with Westlake poor. Under Weir he got back into the side after being injured but he was part of a losing side and his performances did not improve in consistency. After Clough came in, you had no feeling he did not fancy him and he remained in the side and had a really good game at Villa. Still soon after he was allowed to move on with the usual cliché about him having the chance to play at a higher level. You did feel that Clough ultimately did not think he was quite good enough and the chance to get Brayford and Harris (in the deal) led to immediate improvements. The results after it left shows he was not missed at all and maybe was a bigger weak link than we all felt at the times. Now will probably be back in the same division as us if he remains at Blackpool; although he is out of contract and not sure even they will retain him (have they won a game since he went there – maybe one at best?).
Grade D
Darryl Westlake - had never convinced with some poor performances last season as he seemed to have no real idea how to defend or get in the right areas. He looked ok on the ball but often just switched off at the wrong times and the fact he could not displace McMahon says it all. With McMahon injured he started the season and did alright against Notts County but was poor in subsequent games and had a mare at Brentford. McMahon came back in and Westlake disappeared from the side. He did come back in briefly at Coventry but was really poor as many attacks came down his side. We never saw him again and he went to Mansfield on loan. A few daft comments on twitter about us when we were losing did not help his cause. It seemed almost certain his United career was over and remained at Field Mill until the end of the season. A really poor signing that did little of note in his 2 years at United and a player that I think will even struggle to be a regular at League Two long term.
Grade F
Matt Hill is kind of like the bad penny that keeps coming back. I mean that in every way I have written it. He is not really every good enough to be a consistent regular nor is he bad enough to be completely tossed aside. On the surface he is very poor technically, makes some wild hashes at the ball and can make some daft mistakes (Notts County away x 2) but often he has some really solid games (particularly centre back) and has covered so many times for different players. He did not start the season but it was not long before he was back in and I cannot say he was one of the worst players in our bad run; even though the whole side was quite poor. When Clough came in he was not involved at first with likes of White/Lappin brought in but always seemed to find his way back in the side. He had solid games at Villa but then poor ones at Crewe and Notts County but often seemed to be always back in and covering for Collins, Maguire or Harris. Clough seemed to respect his honest application and his commitment to the cause. He never moaned and just seemed to smile and get on with things. An honest trier who maybe lacks ability but actually can still be a decent defender at times. I think considering all the above and the fact he is advancing in years means he will be released at the end of the season but he was well liked at the Lane and will get a good reception if he ever comes back. He would be a good signing for a League Two side and could still do a reasonable job and help young players develop.
Grade D+
John Brayford was clearly a Clough favourite when he signed him in January prior to the Fulham game and spoke of what a coup it was to get him after he had been forced to sell him to Cardiff for a sizeable fee only the summer before. He came in and made an instant impact. Well built but quick and composed on the ball. He got up and down the flank, defending well but also attacking with real vigour. Calm on the ball but physically strong and deceptively fast. It seemed too good to be true that we could bring him down to the third tier. He looked like a Premier League player. It certainly seemed odd that a struggling Cardiff could not have given him any opportunities. He became a real crowd favourite with his distinctive beard helping add to him as a new cult hero. He was outstanding versus Forest at the Lane and even got amongst the goals against Bristol City and then the clincher in the big quarter final against Charlton when he came back from a few weeks out. His performances were of a very high level although he did have a few games to rest some niggling injuries. Despite his great form and being such a key part of our run, he was poor at Wembley I felt and had a role in conceding 2 or 3 of the goals (with others) but did also make Baxter’s goal with a great cross but you could also see why maybe he was not a regular for Cardiff.
He seems to love it at the Lane and I think would like to stay but can only see it if we pay a large percentage of his wages as he will be on a lot at Cardiff and can only see another loan. My concern is the new manager may bring him back pre season and realise at Championship level he will be very good and keep him. Also he could be sold to another team at this level. I do not see how we can get him back. Clough may want him back and part of him may want to return but no one will drop 60-70% of their wages no matter what and he has a further 3 years on his contract. We need to explore the possibility but the reality is we could probably sign 3 or 4 players for the wages we would pay him and that has to be a consideration. He was great to watch and a huge improvement on the reckless and whiney McMahon. It was no coincidence when he came in we suddenly improved. If he does not return will be remembered as one of the best loan signings we have ever had such was his impact.
Grade B-
Bob Harris Not someone I knew much about; the fact Harris had struggled to get into a really poor Blackpool side and they were prepared to take McMahon in exchange did not fill me with much confidence. He had been in and out of the Tangerines side and had been on loan at Rotherham previously but his career seemed to be at a crossroads with his contract up at Blackpool at the end of the 2013/14 season. United took him on loan at first but then took on his permanent contract. He did well against Fulham on his debut and this continued. He liked a tackle and was often very determined to get the ball first (with man if needed). Despite this he only got booked twice. Got forward when he could and had a few decent long range efforts but predominantly his strength was stopping his defender and the cross. He seemed decent positionally and was relatively solid in most games. He got injured at Preston and this coincided with the end of our run. When he got back he was maybe our best defender at Wembley but he then got injured again next game. Worryingly he seems to have an inability to stay fit and his hamstring has continued to be an issue. Hopefully now he has a full summer and may seem settled, he can get fully right and take on the potential he has shown. Still to enter his peak (26) but now he must carry on his performances nest season; if we do offer him (cannot see why not) a contract and he remains.
Grade B-
Terry Kennedy - is a player that seemed to have never quite lived up to his potential that he showed when he was 17/18 and partnering Maguire and a series of injuries did not help his progress. He had a game at Doncaster on New Years Day to start 2013 but did not totally convince and ended up back in the reserves as Collins and Maguire continued the monopoly on the centre back positions with Hill as cover. He was perhaps surprisingly given another year when I thought he may be released last summer. Never really involved under Weir, Clough seemed to take a liking to him and he was involved in the squad quite a bit post Xmas. Still only just 20, he came on at Villa Park and at MK Dons in wins before getting a start against Peterborough partnering Collins with Maguire out. He had a shaky start but recovered to have a very decent game and kept it nice and basic. After this he remained around the squad despite another niggling injury and started again versus Rotherham and was very good, this time alongside Maguire. He headed and kicked it away and kept it nice and simple. He was on the bench at Wembley and has continued to be around. Out of contract I think Clough may give him another deal; maybe one more year. With Hill potentially moving out; he could be a cheaper and younger replacement. He would benefit from a regular spell of games, maybe out on loan, but he has not let us down when he has played. He is not that tall, nor very skilful or that quick but he is brave, committed and reads the game well. He gets into the right areas to defend and is a no nonsense sort. However Clough admits he has to do better with the ball after the game at Oldham. He is the sort of player that may not ever be a top player but will make a living in the game, even if lower league, if he works hard and improves.
Grade C
Kieron Freeman Clough’s penchant for going back to his old club continued when he signed Freeman on loan. Freeman began his career at his home town Nottingham Forest before he signed for Clough at Derby. He had three loan spells with Notts County during his spells with both midlands clubs but never held down a regular place at his parent clubs. Clough clearly liked him and opted to sign him as cover. He came in and did ok in the games he played. Best known maybe for being sent off (undeservedly although his error in the first place); he was steady enough although did make a few errors in games mixed in with some decent bits and pieces. He seemed quite quick, a decent athlete and not bad on the ball but was not at the level of Harris or Brayford who he often deputised for. He showed his versatility as he could play on either side. He is out of contract at Derby (they have an option on him but unlikely to take up) and think Clough may sign him; especially if Brayford does not come back (unlikely). I was not totally convinced by him and feel we maybe need to do better if we are looking at a promotion side.
Grade C
Aidy White White played 8 games just after Clough took over. He was his first signing, on loan from Leeds, and played in the defeat at Shrewsbury before starting most of Clough’s early games. He played mainly left side alternating between left back and left side of midfield. I could not see what clough really saw him. As Leeds fans I worked with said, he will run around a lot with little end product and the phrase ‘open the gates’ could not be more apt. He did show one or two neat bits and pieces and was part of the more solid and no nonsense mentality Clough instilled. He got injured and went back. Clough said he wanted him back but it never happened. He ended up getting back into the Leeds match day squad joining another unimpressive loanee Poleon. White had another year left on his contract at Elland Road. I hope Clough has set his sights bit higher on prospective signings.
Grade D
Sean McGinty - was a player that had been at Man Utd but had less than impressive loan spells at a few clubs where he never quite really established himself even at lower league clubs. He had a few discipline problems and was released from Old Trafford. United took a chance on him but it was unclear whether he was a centre back or left back from the pre season games. I saw him at York and he looked quite poor and was only on the bench for the early games. He came in for the games v MK Dons and Bradford but was clumsy, slow and often in the wrong position. He got skinned quite a bit at Valley Parade and was back in the reserves/u21’s. After this he did not feature under Weir or Clough (one sub appearance pre Xmas) and then ended up on loan at bottom of the league Northampton where he was apparently less than impressive and then to higher placed Rochdale where he did not even make the first team. He has another year on his contract but I am sure Clough will be looking to move him on this summer as he is not good enough.
Grade F
The rest
Jasper Johns came from Everton where he had worked with Weir but it seemed this signing had been arranged even before Weir came in. He signed a 1 year deal but after a few cameos in the first team where he looked woefully out of his depth; he returned to the u21’s where he spent most of the season. The fact no one even took him out on loan was a sign he was not good enough. The games I saw for the u21’s he looked a bit of a headless chicken as he mainly played on the left wing. Sure he will be released at the end of the season and I feel sadly he may be destined for non league football at best. Doubt his wages were that high and I suppose it was a low risk signing that maybe is the sort that now and again can pay off. This one did not sadly.
Danny Higginbotham was around for a period at the start of the season as it seems we had to honour a stupid contract that he would get another year if he played a certain number of games. He looked a player that was done but unlike with Cresswell, Kitson and Robson, we seemed stuck with him. Weir did not involve him whatsoever though (maybe got that right at least!) and he played with the kids before he eventually left the club to join Chester as player coach. This did not last long and he had another short spell with Altrincham before he retired which he maybe should have done at the end of the previous season. Another waste of valuable funds sadly.
Aaron Barry began the season on loan at Dumbarton and did ok up there by all accounts. When he came back around Christmas time; he ended up leaving and signed a 1 year deal with Derry. Never really threatened the first team and not a surprise he moved on.
Other young players include Jordan Hodder who signed a pro deal but never really pushed on and was not seen much at the end of the season and he may move on. A bit younger the lads such as Julian Banton, Jason Paling and Ioan Evans face a big season in terms of establishing themselves at u21 level and maybe getting some loan experience.
Next season
The defence does have questions. The main ones are can we somehow get Brayford back and then of course can we hold onto Maguire. If we achieve one of these things we have done well. Both and we will be cock-a-hoop and have a great base to build on. I fear we won’t get Brayford back; as discussed above but maybe can keep Maguire a bit longer. If we do lose them both suddenly the defence looks really vulnerable and we have major replacements to plug in. If we keep Maguire then maybe we can get another right back (Freeman or someone even better) and cope. I think the loss of Maguire would be an even bigger blow as he has been our most consistent player in recent seasons (not perfect I admit). At left back you could hope Harris could return as he has done well and a big upgrade on what we have had there in recent times.
In an ideal world despite my praise above for Collins, you would want a more mobile and quicker player alongside Maguire but most teams in this division would love to have two centre backs like these two – and are they any worse than the combinations at any of the top 6 in the division. Probably not. It is an area of the field that if we had unlimited money you would try and improve but if we lose a few then Collins will be least of our worries. Ultimately if we had a defence of Brayford-Maguire-Collins-Harris you would be delighted. If we keep 3 I still will be well chuffed. I see Kennedy remaining and maybe Freeman coming back but think Hill may move on now. We do not have an abundance of young defenders coming through (mostly midfielders or forwards) so we will need some back ups in this area. If we can bring back most of the defence and add a bit, we should be fine here as the defensive record for most of our time at this level has been good. With Howard much improved we should be able to continue this all being well.
Player / Position Years remaining (contract expires)
Defenders
Jasper Johns Out of contract (2014)
Jordan Hodder Out of contract (2014)
Bob Harris Out of contract (2014)
Darryl Westlake Out of contract (2014)
Matt Hill Out of contract (2014)
Terry Kennedy Out of contract (2014)
Sean McGinty 1 year (2015)
Neil Collins 1 year (2015)
Harry Maguire 1 year (2015)
Kieron Freeman Loan signing – returns to parent club Derby
John Brayford Loan signing – returns to parent club Cardiff