Fourteen players to get through this week so no room for a first paragraph, I'm going to start with the second one instead.
Good to see so many loanees responding to my rallying cry from last week, it's nice to know that being in Loan Watch means something to these guys. Two away wins for Newport County, doubling their points tally in the process, is a remarkable achievement. Great credit to manager John Sheridan, youngsters like Jazzi Barnum-Bobb and Tommy O'Sullivan may have seemed high risk in a bottom of the table team but Sheridan appears to be letting them both play their natural games and has been rewarded for the gamble. Jazzi has been a regular attacking outlet at wing back while Tommy has been putting his foot on the ball and stroking it around, capping two good performances with a stunning long-range strike for Newport's 4th yesterday.
Two away wins for AFC Wimbledon too, all the more creditable as they have involved nearly 1,000 miles of travelling. A 4-3 win in the week was followed by a 3-1 win at York yesterday. An error from keeper Ben Wilson gifted York an equaliser. I don't remember him dropping a cross in that fashion before (the sun was in his eyes which may partly explain it) but it didn't prove costly and he can put it down to experience. Semi Ajayi and David Tutonda were unused subs in this game but 17 year old Christian Toonga, who was briefly with our Academy, came on for his AFC Wimbledon debut.
Two firsts for Rhys Healey yesterday. His first full game for Dundee and his first goal too, a close range header in the 76th minute to get Dundee back in the game but it finished 2-1 to Kilmarnock. Josh Magennis got their first goal.
It's an odd coincidence that the two hottest strikers in world football right now both have surnames beginning with the letter V. Jamie Vardy scored for the seventh Premier League game in a row yesterday while Etien Velikonja (pictured) got his 8th goal in 8 games today for Lierse as they won 1-0 away. A mention here for former striker Javi Guerra who scored two more for Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Friday but, to be frank, 6 goals in 7 games doesn't quite cut it.
Two starts for Eoin Doyle this week as Preston picked up four points from two away games but two home losses for Wolves, Adam le Fondre played in the first of those but was benched yesterday. A change of manager at Leeds has led to an instant, and dramatic, improvement in their results as they picked up two draws in a row this week. Two good performances from Tom Adeyemi. New boss Steve Evans wants him to get forward more and the fact that he got four shots away yesterday, hitting the woodwork twice, suggests he has taken that on board.
Another ninety minutes for Kadeem Harris but another disappointing home defeat for Barnsley as they slip into the relegation zone. Filip Kiss made the Norwegian League's team of the week after his performance last Sunday but the yellow card he picked up meant he was suspended for Haugesund's game yesterday. Deji Oshilaja is, worryingly, still injured at Gillingham.
Last but not least, Joe Lewis made his first two league starts for Fulham this week. Four points from them, an excellent 4-2 win against Reading yesterday being the highlight (a goal for Ross McCormack and a nice assist too) although Joe was excellent in the midweek draw with Leeds. He says he intends to make it hard for Andy Lonergan to get his place back when he recovers from injury, he's made a good start.
The literal translation of 'Mats Moller Daehli' is 'tall and lucky black man with strong knees who never gets relegated' which I find slightly ironic. Even more so with the news that Mats is due in Sweden next week for surgery on the knee problems which have dogged him since his transfer to Freiburg. He could be out for three months but hopes to be fit and ready for next year's Euros, providing Norway qualify of course. All the very best to him.