Michael Higdon

[sbcmfc]

Adds a wee edge to Sunday!!

 

[steelboy]

 

To win both, he will have to fend off the challenge of Hibernian's Leigh Griffiths – the man he voted for as Player of the Year. While all the other nominees were at Hampden yesterday, the Scotland striker was ­apparently not allowed to attend, his club still shielding him from the media in a move that merely serves as a reminder of the off-field issues which sometimes overshadow his on-field prowess.

 

"He has been excellent and he is a match-winner," said Higdon. "He is a good lad as well but he just needs to keep his head down and concentrate on the football. I'm just sorry he is not here."

 

clear anti celtic bigotry.

[Ian-in-Oz]

Notice that he said if the core of the team stay together he will be more likely to stay. Very similar to Randolf's statement earlier this month so it appears that all we need to do is keep Law & Faddy then Higdon & Randolf will resign. Easy as that

[Mad Dog]

.... or perhaps even re-sign....

[TrouserTent]

As per Haggis; marmite, needs a song

[Squirrelhumper]

Kenny Shiels calls Celtic paranoid fc in today paper...

[Frazzie]

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/394760/Kenny-Shiels-says-Celtic-are-Paranoid-FC

 

Can't disagree with a word of that to be honest.

[stuwell]

Shocking - the guy obviously has an anti Celtic agenda

[siebsbarmyarmy]

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/394760/Kenny-Shiels-says-Celtic-are-Paranoid-FC

 

Can't disagree with a word of that to be honest.

 

Haha brilliant!!! I bet there is a lot of foaming mouths around the country at this!!

[Wellfan1984]

tbf to the Celtic fans I have spoken to and seen posting, alot of them think Lennon should shut the fuck up, and stop bringing up the clubs failings (no treble, SPL title won so late etc.) and get on with it.

[ScottW1886]

Seemingly they announce a team of the year on the night, based on the votes accumulated for all of the players - presumably taking the top goalkeeper, back four etc.

 

Neil Lennon is going to look extremely stupid if the team ends up consisting of 7 Celtic players and the 4 nominees...

 

 

[Andy_P]

A pretty good column from Shiels there I think. If I was being a bit picky it would be his remark about going on displays against Killie. I think they are the only team in the SPL that Higgy hasn't scored against.

 

 

 

 

[Well Well]

I hope he does sign back up he could have another great year for us and I for one would be delighted to cheer the big man on come the opening game of the season.

[nethertonwellfan]

Stole From another site

 

 

New Scientist: Higgs Boson should be called the Hooper Boson says Lennon

 

Nairobi Herald: Lennon fury as Obama beats Wanyama in worlds most famous Kenyan poll

 

The Tablet: Controversy as Samaras is snubbed in favour of Argentine Jesuit for Pope job.

 

Washington Post: Anthony Stokes omitted from FBI's 10 most wanted, Lennon demands answers.

 

 

 

[TrouserTent]

Its a conspiracy

[NottsMFC]

Stuart McCall remains hopeful Michael Higdon will choose to commit his future to Motherwell, insisting money won't be the sole factor in his decision.

 

The striker has hit 25 goals for the Steelmen this season, helping the Englishman gain a nomination for PFA Player of the Year.

 

McCall recently signed a new two-year deal to pledge his commitment to the club. And he remains hopeful the out-of-contract forward will do the same.

"We'll have to put a time limit on it but we'll go to the end of the season and see what happens," McCall said.

"Leeann has had initial talks with Michael and I know he enjoys his time here.

"But in the end money talks. In finance terms it would have to be a big offer to take him away. He will be one of our top-paid players, but it's not always about money, and he knows that.

"It's about being loved where you are and enjoying it and having security and coming to work with a smile on your face, and he is certainly doing that."

 

Motherwell will try to tighten their grip on second place when they face champions Celtic at Fir Park on Sunday.

"It will count for nothing once the game gets under way but beforehand, because we know we beat them the last time and because we have been on such a good run of form, confidence is high," McCall said.

"But they also know they will get nothing unless they work extremely hard like they have been doing.

"And hopefully show their quality again because we have had some outstanding games this season, some real high-scoring games, and they have been a pleasure to watch.

"We just want to keep on track for second place, which is the aim now."

 

From STV website

[Well Well]

No meaningless games in the league for the Mighty Well, I must admit I am enjoying the run in immensely. Hope Higgy can add to his total.

[NottsMFC]

Dario Gradi on Higgy from The Sun.

Apparently he doesn't like to run around

 

 

THE Player of the Year debates will run and run.

Dario Gradi reckons Michael Higdon never did.

 

Legendary former Crewe gaffer Gradi was the man who turned Higdon from a pedestrian midfielder into a burly striker.

He rates the Scouser alongside Peter Crouch as a footballer, and insists big Hig is better than Andy Carroll.

 

But it is his lack of natural athleticism that Gradi insists stopped the Motherwell hitman from reaching the levels of the pair whose combined transfer fees top £80 million.

 

Gradi, 71, who reared the likes of David Platt, Rob Jones, Danny Murphy and Robbie Savage, said: "When I first saw Michael he was very young, maybe around 11 or 12.

"I coached him at the soccer centre in Crewe before we had our own training facilities.

"I did not bring him to Crewe, but I was there when he came in.

 

"You could see he had a talent back then. It was me who put him up front from playing in midfield. He was a decent midfielder, a good footballer.

"What we felt in the end was Michael lacked the mobility to become a really good midfielder.

"So we put him up front because he could score goals. You could see that in training.

"He is not just a big lad. He can play. But his lack of mobility stopped him from going to the very top here.

 

"Did he adapt to being moved up front? It looks like it now. He did seem to settle into the position fairly quickly. He owes me a bottle of wine somewhere along the way!

"There are not many of his type of striker about. You look at Peter Crouch, who has played for England but can't quite keep his place in the Stoke team.

"Crouch is still a decent big striker though. Well, Michael's not a great deal away from him. I don't think there's a great deal of difference.

 

"Look at Andy Carroll. He's not a footballer really, but he is a great athlete.

"Michael's not a great athlete but he is a footballer. Sometimes you are either one or the other.

"If you get both then you have got a terrific player.

 

"Michael is a more naturally gifted footballer than some of these more high profile guys, but he has not got the natural athleticism to go with it they maybe have.

"That is the only thing that has held him back, a lack of athleticism.

"There is not a lot you can do about that. Michael was not fat, he was not overweight.

"He was a good shape. He just was not built to run about.

"He has decent feet and could always head it. If he had the legs he might well be in the Premier League now. But then you can say that about a lot of people."

 

Higdon, 29, has become a cult hero with Well fans this term. But as recently as last season he was being booed for some lacklustre displays.

The same sort of treatment eventually contributed to him quitting Crewe and joining Falkirk.

Gradi added: "We have probably only had three or four players who our fans have turned against.

"Michael was probably the highest profile candidate.

"The crowd here got on to him as a striker. Perhaps it was because he was not very quick. Maybe they thought he was lazy. But he wasn't.

"He is not going to be able to avoid the slights like that though because he is a lad who is just not very good at running about.

"He does not like to run around but he is not deliberately lazy.

"Michael was like that with us and you don't really want too many of those in your team.

"They can't play on the wing or at the back, they have got to play either up front as that target man or in midfield as a holding midfield player.

"But Michael was not going to be able to play midfield.

"He was going to score goals though. He is not going to play in the Premier League down here, but he's had a good career for himself."

 

Crewe would have been due compensation when Higdon quit in 2007.

But his cross-border move to the Bairns left them out of pocket.

Gradi, now Crewe's director of football, said: "I might have felt a bit different about the compensation if Michael had gone up to Scotland for a year then came back to England.

"But that's where his career has gone, and Scotland's gain has been our loss. I'm really pleased for Michael because he is fulfilling his potential this season.

"It was funny because I was talking to our assistant manager Neil Baker earlier in the year and I said we could do with a Michael Higdon now.

"Neil said we could not afford him now, he will be earning too much money.

"He has made a success of his career and he deserves to. That is the nice thing about it, Michael deserves everything he's getting."

 

Higdon's Well deal is up this summer, but gaffer Stuart McCall is optimistic the striker will re-sign.

Gradi added: "The Michael I know from back then would want to do the right thing by people.

"That is not to say he won't be tempted by a better offer somewhere. I don't hold it against players anyway, especially players earning the money he will be on.

"If you are earning £100,000-a-week then an extra £50,000-a-week does not make a lot of difference.

"Michael is at a much lower wage level, he is in the later stages of his career and maybe money becomes a factor.

[tommycoyne]

They guy is a yellow teeth stained ginger tobacco chewing moaning like a spoiled brat greeting clasless tadger.

[tommycoyne]

Class netherton boy, feckin class mate. He is a ginger shunky.

[SteelmaninOZ]

Dario Gradi on Higgy from The Sun.

Apparently he doesn't like to run around

 

 

 

 

Good assessment of our Higgy there.

[KirkySuperSub]

Don't normally say this, but fair play to Andy Walker, just said on Sky there that the comments from Lennon on the poty awards are absolutely "cringeworthy" and "embarrassing" to both him and Celtic.

[weeyin]

Don't normally say this, but fair play to Andy Walker, just said on Sky there that the comments from Lennon on the poty awards are absolutely "cringeworthy" and "embarrassing" to both him and Celtic.

 

His old team mate in the studio is keeping him on the straight and narrow. McAllister was always a good influence.

[Yabba's Turd]

His old team mate in the studio is keeping him on the straight and narrow. McCallister was always a good influence.

Spoke to the big man after the game, he was over the moon

[fatcalf]

Don't normally say this, but fair play to Andy Walker, just said on Sky there that the comments from Lennon on the poty awards are absolutely "cringeworthy" and "embarrassing" to both him and Celtic.

 

 

Couldn't really say much else could he? Can't wait for Lennon to get a job down South away from the Weejie Meedja, he will be crucified for the shite he spouts. It's only the fact he's Shellic manager and how the meedja hang on his every word accordingly that gives him any credence whatsofuckingever. He'll be in the loony bin 6 months after taking any other job.