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ron obvious

Russell interview

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Just thought that this was a bit more revealing than the usual anodyne stuff:http://new.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/Sport/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=Sport&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=Sport&itemid=NOED27+Nov+2009+10%3A38%3A31%3A723“I don''t want to sound like I''m licking up to the manager, but to be

honest with you we''re a completely different team, there''s a different

approach to how things are done and it''s 10 times more professional

than I''ve ever known it,” said Russell.“Training is different

class, we''re training hard and we''re doing it right, and perhaps those

things weren''t right before. I think it''s showing in the strength and

the sharpness the boys have, and also the confidence that we''re

starting to breed." ..........“I was failed a little bit last year in terms of me being played up

front, trying to help the team - and ruin my season, to be honest with

you. The worst season of my career was last year. “Because of a lack of players and other things, I was there filling in for other people and it was disappointing from my front." ...........“To be honest I''m shocked I even got booked in it,” said Russell. “It

was a tackle, the guy done me and I think their big lad Dickinson just

seemed to jump on top of me for whatever reason, but he apologised

after and said it was nothing, so it''s done and dusted. Even the ref

said it probably looked so bad he had to book somebody.They''ve

got some big lads, Brighton. You stood in the tunnel next to them and

you noticed that. But there''s no fear in this team, from little Wes to

big Jens, we''ll all fight and stick together and that''s good.Especially

when we had the little scrap, all the boys jumped in and were there

around it, and that just shows the team spirit and strength of

character we have.”The last paragraph''s a bit contradictory. Was it a "little scrap" or not? You decide! ......... Good interview, I thought.

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Yeah, well what you get with russell is certaintly a very open, honest player and of course a big part of his game is winning tackles and breaking up play like he mentioned and for me this season he has been superb....BUTWeek In / Week Out I always wonder if he''s gonna get sent off, as soon as I heard there was a brawl I immediately imagined russell to be at the centre of it, he could have easily  been sent off once or twice this season and must continue to work on his temperamentHowever not one to end on a negative, lambert has got him playing in a very good role, he protects the attacking 3 brilliantly and as long as he can avoid the match suspensions and continue his form he might even be in contention to get a place in the top 3 for player of the year....which incidentally this year could at last prove to be a worthy award to win after the dross 3 years where we were scratching around to pick a name out of the hat. 

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Maybe we''ll here a bit less from those who still try to attribute the current good run to the "foundations" laid by Bryan Gunn. Richard Balls, writing in yesterday''s local press, also dismissed any notions of our success having anything to do with a certain Mr G. It''s good that people in the know are beginning to set the record straight.

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How can it have nothing to do with Bryan Gunn?

I think it''s pretty much a given that Lambert has made a good team out of the players he inherited. But those players were already here.

Just for arguments sake what if Lambert had been appointed in June and had sold Hoolahan and Doherty to free funds to buy players. His players may have been different. He may not have fancied Grany Holt. There''s a lot of luck involved in the transfer market, even the best managers get it wrong.

I think it''s a real bonus that the transfer window was closed and Lambert had to take a good look at what he inherited.

 

 

 

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[quote user="Pablo Picarsole"]Maybe we''ll here a bit less from those who still try to attribute the current good run to the "foundations" laid by Bryan Gunn. Richard Balls, writing in yesterday''s local press, also dismissed any notions of our success having anything to do with a certain Mr G. It''s good that people in the know are beginning to set the record straight.[/quote]

Agreed Pablo, in the Tranmere and Brighton games, only two of the 12 summer signings made by Gunn played in the sides, Gunn''s team? my arse!

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[quote user="nutty nigel"]

How can it have nothing to do with Bryan Gunn?

I think it''s pretty much a given that Lambert has made a good team out of the players he inherited. But those players were already here.

Just for arguments sake what if Lambert had been appointed in June and had sold Hoolahan and Doherty to free funds to buy players. His players may have been different. He may not have fancied Grany Holt. There''s a lot of luck involved in the transfer market, even the best managers get it wrong.

I think it''s a real bonus that the transfer window was closed and Lambert had to take a good look at what he inherited.

 

 

 

[/quote]

 

Yes the players were here, Nutty, but they were unfit and unmotivated. Everything I''ve heard from those with some insight about the preseason is that Costa del Colney was back with a bang, and that showed in some of our early performances. For example, the sight of the manager strolling into Edinburgh for a shopping session whiile the players trained can''t have sent  out very good signals.

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Ok, Gunny only played a minor role in it. That team on Tuesday evening had just two of Bryan''s signings in it (Askou and Holt) at kick off. And of course a loan signing (Forster) had to take the place of Bryan''s "star" goalkeeper.

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[quote user="nutty nigel"]

How can it have nothing to do with Bryan Gunn?

I think it''s pretty much a given that Lambert has made a good team out of the players he inherited. But those players were already here.

Just for arguments sake what if Lambert had been appointed in June and had sold Hoolahan and Doherty to free funds to buy players. His players may have been different. He may not have fancied Grany Holt. There''s a lot of luck involved in the transfer market, even the best managers get it wrong.

I think it''s a real bonus that the transfer window was closed and Lambert had to take a good look at what he inherited.

 

 

 

[/quote]

Agreed there are plenty of factors that have contributed to the way things have turned out, and Gunn as a scout did a good job (not on all his signings). But as a coach was found lacking time after time. Lambert may have preferred different players, but he has left Col U with a good set of players, so he can''t be too shabby in the transfer market either. As for Grolt, I believe Col U were one of the teams trying to sign him in the summer, but didn''t have the cash.

It has been well documented about Gunn not wanting to sell Hoolahoop and Hull''s bid for Russell being turned down, but who''s to say that Lambert wouldn''t have done the same by standing firm?

I banged on all summer about playing Hooli in the centre of the park in a 4-5-1/4-3-3 style and now that Lambert has done what Gunn AND Roeder failed to realise we are reaping the rewards. Likewise, I noticed (certainly at the start) that Martin, Holt and Hoolahan were rotating arounf the front 3 positions in a Man U style, which I also mentioned through the summer and this season...

(If you are reading this Mr Lambert, I available for consultation at no extra cost, keep up the good work!!)

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How long are we going to bang on about this?

Lambert is a better manager than Gunn.

Simples.

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Re Gunny, I did leave this bit out:“Hopefully I can get that behind me and continue on. Obviously the

situation at the start of the season was disgusting how it was dealt

with and handled, but I''m playing now so that''s it.”So, despite his personal treatment, it appears Rusty had some sympathy for Bryan.

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[quote user="Beauseant"][quote user="nutty nigel"]

How can it have nothing to do with Bryan Gunn?

I think it''s pretty much a given that Lambert has made a good team out of the players he inherited. But those players were already here.

Just for arguments sake what if Lambert had been appointed in June and had sold Hoolahan and Doherty to free funds to buy players. His players may have been different. He may not have fancied Grany Holt. There''s a lot of luck involved in the transfer market, even the best managers get it wrong.

I think it''s a real bonus that the transfer window was closed and Lambert had to take a good look at what he inherited.

 

 

 

[/quote]

 

Yes the players were here, Nutty, but they were unfit and unmotivated. Everything I''ve heard from those with some insight about the preseason is that Costa del Colney was back with a bang, and that showed in some of our early performances. For example, the sight of the manager strolling into Edinburgh for a shopping session whiile the players trained can''t have sent  out very good signals.

[/quote]

We agree Beaus. But it also seems to me that Lambert may have made different decisions had he, or someone else, been here in the summer. He certainly did say that Doc was not in his plans, but the good news for Doc and maybe for us was that he was forced to take another look. So Lambert coming here after the transfer window was probably a blessing.

 Anything could have happened if we had not appointed Gunn in May. We may have appointed someone else and never have seen Lambert here. I''m not trying to give Gunn credit as a manager, you know my opinion on his appointment but keeping on trying to discredit him is as bad as those who are trying to credit him. We should count our blessings and move on.

 

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[quote user="ron obvious"]
Re Gunny, I did leave this bit out:

“Hopefully I can get that behind me and continue on. Obviously the situation at the start of the season was disgusting how it was dealt with and handled, but I''m playing now so that''s it.”

So, despite his personal treatment, it appears Rusty had some sympathy for Bryan.

[/quote]

I don''t see anything there that suggests he has sympathy for Gunn. In fact, the whole article reads that Lambert & his management team are far superior to Gunn in every way. Results appear to reflect this too.

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[quote user="ron obvious"]

Just thought that this was a bit more revealing than the usual anodyne stuff:

http://new.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/Sport/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=Sport&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=Sport&itemid=NOED27+Nov+2009+10%3A38%3A31%3A723

“I don''t want to sound like I''m licking up to the manager, but to be honest with you we''re a completely different team, there''s a different approach to how things are done and it''s 10 times more professional than I''ve ever known it,” said Russell.

“Training is different class, we''re training hard and we''re doing it right, and perhaps those things weren''t right before. I think it''s showing in the strength and the sharpness the boys have, and also the confidence that we''re starting to breed." ..........
“I was failed a little bit last year in terms of me being played up front, trying to help the team - and ruin my season, to be honest with you. The worst season of my career was last year.
“Because of a lack of players and other things, I was there filling in for other people and it was disappointing from my front." ...........

“To be honest I''m shocked I even got booked in it,” said Russell. “It was a tackle, the guy done me and I think their big lad Dickinson just seemed to jump on top of me for whatever reason, but he apologised after and said it was nothing, so it''s done and dusted. Even the ref said it probably looked so bad he had to book somebody.
They''ve got some big lads, Brighton. You stood in the tunnel next to them and you noticed that. But there''s no fear in this team, from little Wes to big Jens, we''ll all fight and stick together and that''s good.
Especially when we had the little scrap, all the boys jumped in and were there around it, and that just shows the team spirit and strength of character we have.”

The last paragraph''s a bit contradictory. Was it a "little scrap" or not? You decide! .........

Good interview, I thought.


[/quote]

 

"I don''t want to sound like I''m licking up to the manager"  bbbbbbut that is of course exactly what I''m doing.

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[quote user="Pablo Picarsole"]Maybe we''ll here a bit less from those who still try to attribute the current good run to the "foundations" laid by Bryan Gunn. Richard Balls, writing in yesterday''s local press, also dismissed any notions of our success having anything to do with a certain Mr G. It''s good that people in the know are beginning to set the record straight.[/quote]

Ah, Mr Balls ! Richard Balls "dismissed any notions of our success having anything to do with a certain Mr G. It''s good that people in the know are beginning to set the record straight." That''s that cleared up then ! Seriously, how silly ! I am delighted by what has been achieved by Lambert and I hope he/we go from strength to strength but to suggest that Lambert''s success has nothing to do with Bryan Gunn is just plain nonsense. The squad put together by Gunn and Butterworth (wasn''t Theoklitis Crook''s only contribution to proceedings and Crook is the only one of the three left at the club ?!) is the squad that has achieved so much under Lambert and Lambert is the first to admit that he has inherited "very good players". Of course, Gunn laid the foundations for what is now being achieved, so such is revisionism !

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[quote user="The Lord"]Yeah, well what you get with russell is certaintly a very open, honest player and of course a big part of his game is winning tackles and breaking up play like he mentioned and for me this season he has been superb....BUT

Week In / Week Out I always wonder if he''s gonna get sent off, as soon as I heard there was a brawl I immediately imagined russell to be at the centre of it, he could have easily  been sent off once or twice this season and must continue to work on his temperament

However not one to end on a negative, lambert has got him playing in a very good role, he protects the attacking 3 brilliantly and as long as he can avoid the match suspensions and continue his form he might even be in contention to get a place in the top 3 for player of the year....which incidentally this year could at last prove to be a worthy award to win after the dross 3 years where we were scratching around to pick a name out of the hat. 
[/quote]

 

At the game it seemed to me as if Russell almost had no choice. Their player put in an awful challenge on him, in which anyone would react angrily to, and so other Brighton players jumped on him. I don''t feel that was a case of Russell being a ''liability''.

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[quote user="Bruces Header"]

[quote user="ron obvious"]Re Gunny, I did leave this bit out:“Hopefully I can get that behind me and continue on. Obviously the situation at the start of the season was disgusting how it was dealt with and handled, but I''m playing now so that''s it.”So, despite his personal treatment, it appears Rusty had some sympathy for Bryan.[/quote]

I don''t see anything there that suggests he has sympathy for Gunn. In fact, the whole article reads that Lambert & his management team are far superior to Gunn in every way. Results appear to reflect this too.

[/quote]What do you make of the bit in bold then?

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[quote user="Pablo Picarsole"]Maybe we''ll here a bit less from those who still try to attribute the current good run to the "foundations" laid by Bryan Gunn. Richard Balls, writing in yesterday''s local press, also dismissed any notions of our success having anything to do with a certain Mr G. It''s good that people in the know are beginning to set the record straight.[/quote]

Is Balls in the know? Any more than us?

I haven''t read anything of his for a couple of years but if my memory serves me right he was nothing more than a fan with a bit of an over inflated opinion of his own view. Much like most of us but with a bit more ability to write.

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There''s alot more to come out yet. Russell handled himself well in the interview. He definitely managed to reveal support and sympathy with Gunn but at the same time restate his loyalty to Lambert. My understanding is that the power(s) that be wanted Gunn to sell Hoolahoop, Russell and Doherty but Gunn fiercely resisted making the point that thhis trio were vital for theseason ahead and that the players he had brought in were building on the foundation and experience provided by HRandD. Those same three players were put in the shop window when Gunn had been ejected and Lambert arrived and either no one offered enough or Lambert soon realised that Gunn was right and these three players were a vital foundation for the team - and so it has proved.

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[quote user="ron obvious"][quote user="Bruces Header"]

[quote user="ron obvious"]
Re Gunny, I did leave this bit out:

“Hopefully I can get that behind me and continue on. Obviously the situation at the start of the season was disgusting how it was dealt with and handled, but I''m playing now so that''s it.”

So, despite his personal treatment, it appears Rusty had some sympathy for Bryan.

[/quote]

I don''t see anything there that suggests he has sympathy for Gunn. In fact, the whole article reads that Lambert & his management team are far superior to Gunn in every way. Results appear to reflect this too.

[/quote]

What do you make of the bit in bold then?

[/quote]

 

i had assumed Russell was speaking about his own situation - i.e. him being banished from the first team squad and the club putting it into the public domain that he wanted to leave when i''ve never seen any comments from him to that effect. I accept however that it is ambiguous and when he refers to the "situation" he could mean the Gunn situation but i''m not convinced.

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