Gary Madine

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Madine interview in the BN

People will always mention it [the jail sentence], and it’s something I have to get used to, but anyone who meets me off the pitch will tell you I’m not an arrogant person, I’m not that kind of person. What I did as a younger lad I can’t take back, the nightclub thing has got in the way of my football career, but anyone who knows me knows I’m not that person.

The Sheffield Wednesday thing disappointed me a lot. When we got promoted I’d scored all those goals, even though I’d missed three-and-a-half months of the season. But I never really got my chance in the Championship. I made maybe 11 starts in two-and-a-half years at Wednesday, so I want to prove them wrong. I want to come here, get my head down and score as many goals as I can because I’m better than that.

I wanted to get things done early [with moving clubs this summer]. I definitely didn’t want to spend all summer sweating about where I was going to be. Thankfully I managed to have a good game against Bolton just before the end of the season and the gaffer watched me again. He showed some faith in me and I want to repay him.

It’s not worth putting the pressure on myself [by setting targets]. I’ll give 100 per cent, that’s all I can promise.

I wasn’t here last season but I’d imagine to improve is what the manager would expect. Looking at some of the players here there are some unbelievable talents. Mark Davies is like another [Andres] Iniesta in training, he’s something else, so if we can keep hold of players like that I’m sure we’ll get better. When I first came the gaffer said that he’d had too many players out injured last year. If he’d kept everyone fit it might have been a different story.

[bobo the clown]

I'm liking him.

& Bob of Austria says he played very well, also.

[Bijou Bob]

I'm liking him.

& Bob of Austria says he played very well, also.

And here comes Bob to rain on your parade once again......

The guy has been excellent in two games, won every header, held the ball up and linked up play with Clough and Mavies. He works hard, chases the ball down and given the fitness and determination, could be the next SKD. And therein lies the rub. I'm just hoping we dint start lumping the ball at him as we did for several seasons, cutting out the midfield. From 2 matches, it's hard to tell, but it seems that NL has that as Plan B, not Plan A. I'm very hopeful.

[Prufrock]

He defo says the right things, and has looked good so far. Hopefully there's a player in there. His goal record lower down is decent when he's had a run in the team and seems like he's got the all-round game so if he can add goals he could be the focal point we've been looking for. No-one had heard of Chris Martin until he went to Derby and suddenly clicked. Happened obviously for SKD here too.

Fingers crossed.

[LeverEnd]

I'm not hopeful about much for this season but this guy looks promising.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

A hard-working target man who can link play and score goals? It's not much to ask but it would help a lot. Allows us to play Zach off him, with others running on.

I'm not worried about the midfield - plenty of decent options there, in fact too many considering we're skint.

Not convinced by the defence, though - generally or individually. We might be alright if Kellett's the player he promised, Osede settles in alongside a minder, and we find a right-back. But that's a multi-faceted if.

[bobo the clown]

Dave Sutton has spoken.

Midfield is overstocked if anything
Forwards have some promise, tough I'd love to get Alf back
Centre-half should be covered if everything's good
2nd keeper remains on the radar
Full backs ... why, of why, is this club singularly incapable of finding full backs ?

... & yes, either Kellett is a good un, or something is seriously wrong with Stretford's scouting, let alone our own.

Oh .... & (finger's crossed, salt-over-the-shoulder, stand on one leg, kill a cat and al that)we CANNOT have another season of injuries like last year.

[Armchair Wanderer]

Blimey, optimism?

That's cheered the football part of my brain up a bit.

(if there was any sarcasm in there I'm happy to stay blissfully ignorant)

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

either Kellett is a good un, or something is seriously wrong with Stretford's scouting, let alone our own.

TBH I'm as excited by the reports from Plymouth (Argyle, not our forum friend) as from the slightly odd MU loan, which came about partly because they sold a young full-back on deadline day and Warren Joyce knew Kellett was kicking around.

Given that Kellett plays well - better, perhaps - at wing-back, and Lennon loves a back three, I would hope the gaffer is doing due diligence on him. Kellett seems to have got the second half against Graz but remained unused against Paderborn.

[boltonboris]

either Kellett is a good un, or something is seriously wrong with Stretford's scouting, let alone our own.

TBH I'm as excited by the reports from Plymouth (Argyle, not our forum friend) as from the slightly odd MU loan, which came about partly because they sold a young full-back on deadline day and Warren Joyce knew Kellett was kicking around.

Given that Kellett plays well - better, perhaps - at wing-back, and Lennon loves a back three, I would hope the gaffer is doing due diligence on him. Kellett seems to have got the second half against Graz but remained unused against Paderborn.

He's used the under 23 players quite sparingly so far - Which would suggest fear of burnout

[plymouth wanderer]

either Kellett is a good un, or something is seriously wrong with Stretford's scouting, let alone our own.

TBH I'm as excited by the reports from Plymouth (Argyle, not our forum friend) as from the slightly odd MU loan, which came about partly because they sold a young full-back on deadline day and Warren Joyce knew Kellett was kicking around.

Given that Kellett plays well - better, perhaps - at wing-back, and Lennon loves a back three, I would hope the gaffer is doing due diligence on him. Kellett seems to have got the second half against Graz but remained unused against Paderborn.

Quite alot of Argyle fans were saying that he was the best loan signing since Scott Sinclair! I watched Sinclair down here and he was phenomenal! If we're building for the future then he's gotta be given a run in the team

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

He's used the under 23 players quite sparingly so far - Which would suggest fear of burnout

Or mistrust? Some interesting questions raised by this BN piece:

Yes, I’d like to have played Clough, or a couple of others, to avoid playing the kids who are not quite ready for this yet but it’s good experience for them as well.

Might shuffle his squad for Morecambe this Friday and/or Tuesday's trip to Oldham. We might get to see Trotter!!

[Worthy4England]

We do need to see Trotter, if only to enable us to judge if the overall quality has dipped that low. If he doesn't stand out as being particularly shit, then we have a big fcking problem.

[bobo the clown]

We do need to see Trotter, if only to enable us to judge if the overall quality has dipped that low. If he doesn't stand out as being particularly shit, then we have a big fcking problem.

That's a fair way to assess people ... & shows great logic.

[Prufrock]

Good to have an almost literal benchmark.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Gaffer's chuffed. (Source: BN)

I’ve been really pleased with him – he’s a better player than I thought he was. That [his two-goal game at Port Vale] wasn’t even him at his best; he has done better in other games. But his first finish was terrific, it was a great run, and then the second was the first time we’d really put a decent ball in for him in a decent area in the second half. We crossed the ball in early and he finished really well. You fancy him in those positions.

I hope he’s going to be a bonus for us, even though I don’t want to make any rash predictions. But I think we’ve got a decent player on our hands there. He’s missed out on a lot of football in the last couple of seasons. But there’s no doubt he’s talented. He reminds me a lot of Chris Sutton – I’m not saying he’s exactly the same – but there are similarities with the way he takes the ball down and holds the ball up. He’s very good in the air and his work-rate is good. The best thing is he’s still young and there is plenty of scope to improve.

[Enoch]

Gaffer's chuffed. (Source: BN)

I’ve been really pleased with him – he’s a better player than I thought he was. That [his two-goal game at Port Vale] wasn’t even him at his best; he has done better in other games. But his first finish was terrific, it was a great run, and then the second was the first time we’d really put a decent ball in for him in a decent area in the second half. We crossed the ball in early and he finished really well. You fancy him in those positions.

I hope he’s going to be a bonus for us, even though I don’t want to make any rash predictions. But I think we’ve got a decent player on our hands there. He’s missed out on a lot of football in the last couple of seasons. But there’s no doubt he’s talented. He reminds me a lot of Chris Sutton – I’m not saying he’s exactly the same – but there are similarities with the way he takes the ball down and holds the ball up. He’s very good in the air and his work-rate is good. The best thing is he’s still young and there is plenty of scope to improve.

That's reads like:

"F*ck me! We got lucky there."

Hope we get lucky again.

[bobo the clown]

Gaffer's chuffed. (Source: BN)

I’ve been really pleased with him – he’s a better player than I thought he was. That [his two-goal game at Port Vale] wasn’t even him at his best; he has done better in other games. But his first finish was terrific, it was a great run, and then the second was the first time we’d really put a decent ball in for him in a decent area in the second half. We crossed the ball in early and he finished really well. You fancy him in those positions.

I hope he’s going to be a bonus for us, even though I don’t want to make any rash predictions. But I think we’ve got a decent player on our hands there. He’s missed out on a lot of football in the last couple of seasons. But there’s no doubt he’s talented. He reminds me a lot of Chris Sutton – I’m not saying he’s exactly the same – but there are similarities with the way he takes the ball down and holds the ball up. He’s very good in the air and his work-rate is good. The best thing is he’s still young and there is plenty of scope to improve.

That's reads like:

"F*ck me! We got lucky there."

Hope we get lucky again.

It does. Though to be honest we're due some luck.

At a different level, I appreciate, but Allardyce got lucky when he gave Davies a go. He was thinking of retiring when he was given a go.

Without that we'd never have heard of Emma !!

[Prufrock]

true, though I reckon SKD comes out in credit!