[jjamez]

He'll never score many goals in a season above league 1 level i dont think. But he runs and keeps on running and will never let you down in terms of commitment.

Think thats what endeared him to the majority of town fans during his time here.

[Lord Snooty]

Like the under achieving Gary Roberts, I think Novak should be good enough for the Championship, but will take the easier option of scoring against weaker defences in Leagues 1 or 2.
However, if he were to go north of the border, where of course he started out with Gretna, he could do some major scoring. I mean, if Leigh Griffiths can get so many, Novak will double that.

[WakeyTerrier]

The only championship club that would sign Lee Novak to improve the team/squad would be Burton. He wouldn't get a sniff at any other Championship club. L1 is his level, the lad works hard but unless he's technically improved then his overall standard of the game is not good enough for the Championship.

[MNTerrier]

i like Novak, hes a grafter, in the right system , in the right division he will get his fair share of goals , his level is league 1 though , i do hope he finds a good club and has a long successful career , always gave his all for us

[Lord Snooty]

Sounds like the Jack Payne signing is close to completion, according to folk on twitter.

[jjamez]

i never know how to take the things on the twitterverse, its one of those where you can say something and someone somewhere will take it as gospel

[SHEP_HTAFC]

Mark Lillis has been sacked as the Academy manager at Town.
Hoyle says it's to do with not enough young players coming through to the first team.
Can't disagree with him.
The ones that have come through all came to us from other Academy's....Billing, Bunn, Smith.

[Lord Snooty]

Oooh! 

[jjamez]

Some are mentioning redfern. He had a good record at leeds, so maybe that gets him the job.

Not really sure what they look for in any of those roles

[theo_luddite]

Starts with the scouts. If they aren't spotting the young kids and getting them down the Academy soon enough then the kids are off to the local sessions run by the likes of Man City and other bigger clubs throwing more money at it. We then get left with trying to make silk purses from the remaining sows ears. Redfearn had a good record while Leeds had a scouting system - they haven't had one for a few years so their supply of youngsters is turning into a trickle, let alone good youngsters that hey can bring through.

The older kids we pick up are being found through the stat based system that they get to use as they get older. It's leg work and contacts in local leagues that gets the good one's found at an early age. I heard one Town scout saying the other year that we were only looking for big tall kids. That was at an Under 8, 9 or 10 match where most of the sprouts on show probably wouldn't get a growth spurt until they were 11 or 12, yet ability on the ball (and off it) wasn't even on his agenda, regardless of the height of the kids. I said to him if he's looking for tall kids he needed to go watch the U12's and above and to send a proper scout to watch these younger kids. He wasn't amused.

Professional clubs were still telling Vardy he wasn't tall enough when he was 18. Doubt he's grown much since and Messi is hardly 6' tall is he? So if scouts are looking for and sending in the wrong kids, all the coaching in the world won't ever make them a pro footballer.