Back in September I took a look at how the players that helped us win promotion last season had started at their new clubs. Now with the season drawing to a close I see how those same players have fared in their first campaign with their new clubs.
Last time out we saw that Stefan Scougall had made a solid if unspectacular start to his career at Scottish Premiership club St. Johnstone. Back then there was debate about what his best position was and 6 months later those issues are still unresolved.
“I’m utterly seething that TW signed the perfect “10” in Scougall and played him on the wing, and has now signed a winger, and is playing him as a “10”. UTTERLY SEETHING”
“He’s tidy on the ball, keeps possession well and clearly isn’t a winger.”
“Playing him out of position after a few good games in his position ,is one of the reasons I am so critical of Wright.”
” He hasn’t been unsuccessful, and not playing in his position hasn’t helped him, but he hasn’t been a roaring success. One goal, not a lot of assists. As I’ve said before, he looks a decent player and I hope he goes on to be a Saints great, but he still has plenty to do.”
“Whilst he hasn’t hit the heights we hoped he would, that’s the kind of player we should be looking at again IMO. ”
“Whilst he’s not hit the heights many expected, I’d put that simply down to the poor performances around him. His vision is way beyond all of his team mates at Saints just now- put him in with players willing to make runs and he’d look a different player.”
“We have a crafty wee player like Scougall who arrived showing having a nice footballing brain with some creative sparks, but it’s like he’s been shackled by management and our style of play. “
Marc McNulty was being widely criticized by Coventry fans back in September but after notching 15 goals for the Sky Blues this season, the Scot has totally turned opinion around.
“We are solely reliant on Mcnulty creating or scoring goals”
“If we’d had a decent striker alongside McNulty we would have been top 3”
“I think if we are in League 2 next season, we will lose McNulty. I think he has proven that he is at least League 1 level.”
“Got to hope McNulty stays fit to have a chance of promotion”
“Obviously McNulty is obviously a hot favourite for Player Of The Season but I need more goals on the run in to cement that spot. ”
“I couldn’t split Doyle and McNulty for the player of the season”
“overall McNulty has always been there or Thereabouts all season, even when he wasnt scoring you could see he caused defences trouble. His touch , pace and movement are a class above this league & I think he’d walk straight into every team in this league”
Harry Chapman had made a promising start for Blackburn Rovers as he attempted to complete a personal achievement of three consecutive promotions from League One with there different clubs. Unfortunately whilst Rovers look like bouncing back to The Championship at the first attempt, Chapman has missed most of the campaign with a hamstring injury. After a 5 month lay off he made his comeback in an U23 game but was sadly forced off after just 10 minutes with a re-occurrence of his original injury
Just gone off injured in tears in his comeback game. Looks like a hammy again.Proper gutted, him returning would have been a huge boost”
“Gutted for the lad, he’s going to need some real morale support. A bright talent and nice lad by all accounts. Hope he gets through this.”
“Real shame for both him and us.”
“I fear we’ve just lost our trump card with Chapman surely out for the season”
“Chapman would still be a great signing if we could get promoted”
“That’s the last we’ll see of him as a Rovers player but you have to worry for his career now.For some players pace and hamstrings just don’t go well together”
“Gutted for the lad more than us. Sounds a bad injury to have so young. Michael Owen was never the same after he did his. He must not come back to football until his hamstring is 100 percent ready even if it’s a year. Coming back too soon could be a career ender. ”
“Devastating news. May well be the end of his football career”
“He was desperate to play for us again, and that’s heart rending. Can’t see him in a rovers shirt anytime soon, what a pity. He’s one we took to, and not many starts at that. What could have been, alas”
Ethan Ebanks Landell has gone from one from extreme to the other since joining MK Dons. After playing a big part in United gaining 100 points and coasting to the League One title last season he now finds himself with a team fighting to stay in the division playing in front of an unhappy fan base.
“All I am looking for is are indicators/promise in our manager. He chose to bring on EEL a few weeks back. Bad enough, but in midfield FFS? The worst possession player in our squad.”
“Hopefully there will be no room for EEL going forward”
“Playing EEL is always a risk and I can’t see how a player who has played for a promoted team is so accident prone.”
“EEL is error prone but there isn’t a lot of options”
“We need a replacement for him”
“Not to make him a scapegoat, but that position is particularly weak.”
“He makes loads of howlers . Add these up at the end of the season they decide your fate.”
Finally in this round up I take a look at Matt Done. He has been part of a Rochdale side who this season went on a superb FA Cup run but are still struggling at the wrong end of League One. Playing more as a wing back than as a forward not all fans are convinced Keith Hill is getting the best out of him.
“I just don’t get why he is playing at left back”
“I would play him up front”
“He left us as a striker who can put the ball in the net. He’s played out of position most of the season even though we lack goals! Either KH is brain dead or he has fancied another crack at League 2 all season”
“not the same player since he has come back from blades, you can tell he’s not playing for the big move”
“Matty done has lost of resemblance of being a footballer. He’s gash and i wouldnt be sad to see him go in the summer”
“He still shows great commitment”