Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Longman]

COLIN BACKS GRAHAM
Elsewhere, SAM says that "Colin Little may be down, but he's certainly not out. The Alty striker is at his lowest ebb after suffering relegation to the Blue Square North but said he is far from being ready to hang up his boots. At the ripe old age of 35, Little finished as third top scorer in the Blue Square Premier this season with a remarkable tally of 21 goals... 'I'm absolutely gutted at the moment', Little told SAM Sport. 'We gave it our best shot again this season and there's nothing more you can do than that. This league does wear you down because it's difficult to compete unless you're prepared to shell out a lot of money. But I'm not about to give up yet. I have always kept myself in good shape and I want to keep playing until I'm 40, unless I get a bad injury or my legs go. I might lose a bit of pace but I've never been a quick player, that's never been what my game's about so it shouldn't cause too many problems... I've had offers in the past and I'm sure I'll have offers again but I'm loyal to Alty. I've been offered more money to go and play for clubs in lower divisions, which shows the struggle we face at Alty. I'm just waiting to see what happens with Graham. He hasn't said he wants to leave so at the moment I'm just taking it as normal, that he'll be here next season. My biggest fear is that he'll decide he's had enough because it is a tiring league. From an inside perspective, Graham is the best thing for this football club and we'd be in a worse position without him. The players are all behind him'".

Just thinking, I know Col has come out and said he's not leaving Alty and that he is loyal etc, however do you think it's possible he could go if Graham does?  I'm sure I read a while ago he'd leave if Graham did!?  Don't quote me on that as I may just be imagining it due to having the worst memory in the world!

[TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe]

COLIN BACKS GRAHAM
Elsewhere, SAM says that "Colin Little may be down, but he's certainly not out. The Alty striker is at his lowest ebb after suffering relegation to the Blue Square North but said he is far from being ready to hang up his boots. At the ripe old age of 35, Little finished as third top scorer in the Blue Square Premier this season with a remarkable tally of 21 goals... 'I'm absolutely gutted at the moment', Little told SAM Sport. 'We gave it our best shot again this season and there's nothing more you can do than that. This league does wear you down because it's difficult to compete unless you're prepared to shell out a lot of money. But I'm not about to give up yet. I have always kept myself in good shape and I want to keep playing until I'm 40, unless I get a bad injury or my legs go. I might lose a bit of pace but I've never been a quick player, that's never been what my game's about so it shouldn't cause too many problems... I've had offers in the past and I'm sure I'll have offers again but I'm loyal to Alty. I've been offered more money to go and play for clubs in lower divisions, which shows the struggle we face at Alty. I'm just waiting to see what happens with Graham. He hasn't said he wants to leave so at the moment I'm just taking it as normal, that he'll be here next season. My biggest fear is that he'll decide he's had enough because it is a tiring league. From an inside perspective, Graham is the best thing for this football club and we'd be in a worse position without him. The players are all behind him'".

Just thinking, I know Col has come out and said he's not leaving Alty and that he is loyal etc, however do you think it's possible he could go if Graham does?  I'm sure I read a while ago he'd leave if Graham did!?  Don't quote me on that as I may just be imagining it due to having the worst memory in the world!

As much as I enjoy watching Little play for Alty (and hope he continues to do so), I can't help but feel that he contradicts himself in this article.

He says that he is "loyal to Alty" but then intimates that he would consider leaving the club if Heathcote isn't the manager next season.

So, do his loyalties lie with the club or to an individual?

 

[baldrick]

He has said before that he stays because Graham stays. I think if Graham goes a lot of players will leave the club.

[thegazelle]

would he leave if he was offered player/ coach position along side say ken mackenna or some other noted manager

[Unemployed Coalminer]

Although I'm not a fan of GH's preferred style of football I don't remember him being criticised for negative play when we got past Nuneaton, Kettering and Eastbourne. The problem this season wasn't the tactics or style, it was having a team of players that couldn't (overall) play to the required standard.

[Alty365]

I don't remember him being criticised for negative play when we got past Nuneaton, Kettering and Eastbourne.

That was three years ago and at a lower level of football so it's not relevant to last season.

The problem this season wasn't the tactics or style,

Strongly disagree with that comment. We were far too negative too much of the time. The dire performances away at Woking and Grays (both of which we should have won) were prime examples of this.

[The Fan]

Would those who want GH out change their mind if it meant Colin Little going too?

[Alty365]

Would those who want GH out change their mind if it meant Colin Little going too?

You can't be held to ransom like that and nobody is bigger than the club. Colin Little has been immense for this club over the last 4 years but you can't halt progress to suit one player. At the end of the day if his sole loyalty is to GH then he obviously isn't as "loyal to Alty" as he would like people to believe.

[SW]

It is of course possible to read more into some comments than actually is there. Col is an excellent and valued player but I doubt he has ever done a media relations course.

[Alty365]

It doesn't help that Colin has stated publicly in the past that he would leave if Graham were no longer manager. On the face of it this appears to be saying a similar thing. 

[Jezza]

I don't remember him being criticised for negative play when we got past Nuneaton, Kettering and Eastbourne.

I do remember him getting slated for dropping Marcus Hallows, playing Little on the wing and Colin Potts as a sole striker against the might of Bottom of the league Vauxhall Motors that season....with Marcus not even on the bench we were forced to try and force an equaliser by throwing Gary Talbot up front for the 2nd half...unsurprisingly we lost.

Graham gets plenty of plaudits when he deserves them...and rightly critics when he desreves those as well...we've got to be the most fair minded fans in the country?

I'm sure Alty fans everywhere appreciate Colin's comments.

[Uncle Globnasty]

Much as those comments might give you cause to worry, I do not think that it really alters the situation as anyone sees it. His loyalty is admirable (along with everything else he does), but how much of this is "saying the right thing" and backing someone who, I'm sure, he genuinely does have a lot of time for?

Every season in every league players come out with statements backing an embattled boss. How many of them actually leave when the boss does? VERY FEW. Now, I'm not saying that Colin won't, but as others have said "no one man is bigger than the club".

Anyway, all of this discussion is surely academic. We now have statements from all of the major players in this little (excuse the pun) game and it would appear that the decision is totally in the hands of GH (not that we are surprised by that either). If he stays, can a manager change his tactics any more than a leopard can change its spots?

Football fans, by their very nature, are a fickle bunch (myself included). I was watching the boring drivel that was the EUFA cup semi between Fiorentina and the Huns last night. It was so boring and uninspiring, it was enough to make your dick weep. There was only one team trying to play (and they weren't making a great job of it). The commentators made an interesting point, if Rangers had not been so successful this season, how many of their faithful would be happy with Walter Smith and his negative style of play? Are results all that really matter? Mind you we have neither.

[TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe]

Would those who want GH out change their mind if it meant Colin Little going too?

You can't be held to ransom like that and nobody is bigger than the club. Colin Little has been immense for this club over the last 4 years but you can't halt progress to suit one player. At the end of the day if his sole loyalty is to GH then he obviously isn't as "loyal to Alty" as he would like people to believe.

Absolutely spot on, Alty365.

This sort of 'emotional blackmail' is extremely disappointing.

If I may borrow a quote from the statement issued by none other than Grahame Rowley on 24th April 2008:

"What company do you know which allows its workers to dictate policies?"