Lesson for Kevin Mccabe

[Sean Thornton]

Sorry Sean, I don't get paid to defend McCabe on here. I have other things to do.

Anyway, Monty in 2003 and 2004. I was speaking from what I remember from the time, and my opinion isn't changed by double checking.

2002-3: 15 starts, 8 sub appearances. Played generally when other midfielders were absent for one reason or another, or when Warnock went with 5 occasionally (rare that year). A squad player. Brown played 40 times, missing games due to suspension mainly.

2003-4: Monty played a fair amount before the Burnley game when Brown got sent off, but look where he played - again, all over the midfield, covering for one player or another (including Brown, who had niggling injuries). He missed games too, and came on as sub as few times. He was a regular at several positions. Look what happens when Brown is suspended, and then leaves - Monty takes his slot permanently. And after a good start, results wise, we slide down the table with the 4 match losing run that was a feature of Warnock seasons in January/February, and never quite got it back. This was my recollection of what happened at the time and is all discernible from Soccerbase and the Complete Record. I stand by what I said. And I know he wasn't an attacking midfielder - that shows the idiocy of the Brown move.

and the broad point still remains - our best players were sold, we slide down the table. The Pigs have resisted so far, and they move up the table. Here's hoping they stop resisting.

Neither do I, do you knock him for free though?

Soccer base says 32 apps in total for 2002/2003 rather 23. 41 the following season most of them starting. When Brown was injured or suspended, Warnock generally reverted to 433 as opposed to a pretty rigid 442. With the odd exception when he tried the likes of Boussata he stuck with 433 when Brown left and I can't remember him complaining to much then about not being able to buy a replacement. Warnock seems to be getting away with little blame - clearly all down to McCabe though - for a change of tactics which actually changed very little and in fact was the system he used when Brown was out. You point to January and February as poor months after Brown left to try to strengthen your argument but the form is hardly different for the three preceding months when Brown was there.