Canadians in English Coca-Cola Leagues

[Timotas]

From soccernet.com, there are some predictions for the upcoming season of The English Coca-Cola Leagues(1st div, 2nd div, 3rd div) mentions a few Canadians... I'll just paste whichever Canadians name were mentioned.

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English Coca Cola League Championship

Derby County

Last season: 20th

Manager: George Burley - Former Ipswich manager in the middle of a long rebuilding job at Pride Park.

In: Morten Bisgaard (FC Copenhagen, free), Mo Konjic (Coventry, free), Tommy Smith (Sunderland, free), Inigo Idiakez (free).

Out: Chris Palmer (Notts County, free), Youl Mawene, Manel, Jimmy Turner (all released), Lewis Hunt (Southend, free).

George Burley halted the fall and fall of Derby County, but only just. Without Paul Peschisolido's end-of-season goals, it could have been a different story.

No forward scored more than six goals last season. The signing of Peschisolido in March and now Tommy Smith, plus the return to fitness of Junior gives Burley options, but one must prove prolific.

Ian Taylor top-scored with 11 and he is joined in midfield by Dane Morten Bisgaard while Mo Konjic's signing means Burley now has an experienced defence. Tom Huddlestone, Lee Grant and Pablo Mills are among a promising crop of younger players, but youth may have been a cause of an awful away record last year.

Ipswich Town

Position: 5th

Manager: Joe Royle - Wealthier after his court case against Manchester City, but still producing an entertaining team in East Anglia.

In: Jason de Vos (Wigan, free), Kevin Horlock (West Ham, free), Justin Hoyte (Arsenal, season-long loan).

Out: John McGreal (Burnley, out of contract), Alun Armstrong, Chris-Bart Williams (both released), Marcus Bent (Everton, £450,000), Jermaine Wright (Leeds, out of contract), Chris Makin (out of contract)

After another summer of cost-cutting at Portman Road, manager Joe Royle will be even more dependent on the club's superb youth policy. Ian Westlake emerged to become a key player last year; Dean Bowditch, already with a first-team hat-trick to his name, could be next.

No team scored more goals than Ipswich last year and with a choice of two from Bowditch, Darren Bent, Shefki Kuqi and Pablo Counago in attack, they should be near the top of the scoring charts again.

But the Tractor Boys conceded 72 and Jason de Vos, recently in a rather superior Wigan back four, has an important role in shoring up the worst defence outside the bottom six last year. Kevin Horlock, who played for Royle at City, is a rare tackling midfielder at the club and if Ipswich can get the balance between defence and attack right, they will be hard to beat.

Key Man: Jason de Vos - Surely promotion is impossible unless the defence improves.

One to Watch: Ian Westlake - Left-sided midfielder who was Player of the Year last season.

Must do better: Drissa Diallo - Though that comment could apply to other defenders, too.

Prediction: Should be in the top six again.

Wigan Athletic

Last season: 7th

Manager: Paul Jewell - One of Wigan's most successful strikers, now their most successful manager.

In: David Graham (Torquay, £215,000), David Wright (Crewe, undisclosed), Per Frandsen (Bolton, free)

Out: Jason de Vos (Ipswich, out of contract), Andy Liddell (Sheffield United, out of contract)

No side outside the top two had a better defensive record than Wigan last year, but this season may reveal how important Jason de Vos was to their back four. A centre back may be on Paul Jewell's shopping list and he has spent little so far this summer.

But David Graham comes in to understudy strikers Nathan Ellington and Jason Roberts, who each offer pace and a physical presence, though the latter is not always clinical enough.

The last campaign showed that several Wigan players - Jimmy Bullard in particular - could step up to a higher division, while Per Frandsen has proved himself in the Premiership. Manager Jewell was in no rush to buy last year, but it may take further investment for them to break into the top six.

Key Man: Nathan Ellington - 18 goals last year for the former Bristol Rovers man.

One to Watch: David Graham - Paul Jewell gambled on the Torquay forward, but he did superbly in Division Three.

Must do better: Tony Dinning - In and out of the team for a couple of years.

Prediction: In or around the play-offs again.

English Coca-Cola League One

Tranmere Rovers

Last season 8th

Manager Brian Little.

In: Jason McAteer (Sunderland, free), Mark Rankine (Sheffield United, free), Calvin Zola (Newcastle, free), Michael Jackson (Preston, free), Theodore Whitmore (unattached)

Out: Sean Connelly (Rushden, free), Alex Hay (Rushden, free), Graham Allen (Rushden, free), Thomas Rooney (Macclesfield, free), Jamie McGuire, Shane Nicholson, Mickey Mellon (all released)

Had Brian Little been in charge of Tranmere from the start of last season, they would surely have finished higher. After a summer of intelligent signings, they start this campaign among the promotion favourites.

New captain Jason McAteer is the most prominent arrival while Michael Jackson should shore up a defence who conceded too many goals away from home.

Aided by the creativity of Paul Hall and Iain Hume, there should be no shortage of goalscorers with Eugene Dadi joined by fit-again Simon Haworth and newcomer Calvin Zola. With no obvious weaknesses, Tranmere could be hard to stop.

Key man: Michael Jackson.

[DJT]

Timotas, you can post stuff like this in the Canadian National Teams & Players section (I moved this thread from the General Discussion section).

[Timotas]

quote:Originally posted by DJT

Timotas, you can post stuff like this in the Canadian National Teams & Players section (I moved this thread from the General Discussion section).

Didn't really know Thanks DJT