Ex-QPR News: Jim Smith Wins Manager of the Month (Again)...Kenny Jackett Under Some Pressure...Ex-loanee Dyer Hits Injury time Equalizer

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BBC -Smith named manager of the month
Smith has collected the monthly accolade for September
Oxford boss Jim Smith is the Nationwide Conference manager of the month for September after taking his side eight points clear at the top of the table.
He shared the award in August but is outright winner after U's were unbeaten and won six of their seven games. ...
BBC

IC Wales - Jackett Under some PRessure
Defensive frailties put Jackett on the spotOct 2 2006

WALK into the reception at Nottingham Forest and the bronze bust of Brian Clough gazing up at you provides an instant reminder of the club's proud European Cup-winning history.

Fairly or unfairly, Cloughie's unparalleled achievements as Forest manager have invariably been used as a yardstick to measure the success of those who have followed him into the City Ground hot-seat.

In Kenny Jackett's case, it is not so much a demand to live up to the past placing him under intense scrutiny as a struggle to meet expectations for the future.

Which explains why he was asked if he feared for his job as Swansea manager after his Championship hopefuls were humbled by a Forest side who seem destined to recapture their long-held place in the upper echelons of English football.
Defensive frailties put Jackett on the spotOct 2 2006
For 53 marvellous minutes, it looked like the post-match questions would be no more taxing than "who most deserves the man of the match award?" as the Swans were dominating this absorbing League One test and heading for result of the season so far.

But then another - yes, another - defensive horror show unfolded to account for Swansea's second successive 3-1 away defeat and Jackett, his side now eight points adrift of pace-setters Forest having leaked 15 goals in 12 matches, was back on the rack.

Asked by one journalist if he felt his job at the Liberty Stadium was under threat, Jackett said, "You'd have to ask other people about that. I don't employ the manager at Swansea City. I am currently the manager and I'm in a position where I need to influence performances and results.

"I feel I still have the backing of everyone at the club, though obviously it's your job (the media) to assess that.

"I can't speak for other people. I can speak for the side and I know I have some problems to address. I wouldn't be naive enough to say I don't have any problems.

"Defensive frailties was the only weakness we showed in this game. Football is a simple game and you need to get the basics right."

Even Jackett would probably admit he's starting to sound like a stuck record. Week after week, it seems, he finds himself stressing the need to get back to basics on the training ground.

Yet how much longer will he be given to get it right defensively? Fifth-placed Tranmere arrive at the Liberty on Friday and another capitulation like the one they displayed in Nottingham will surely not be tolerated by the boardroom string-pullers.

That familiar sinking feeling must have consumed Jackett when Swansea contrived to surrender a 1-0 lead established on the back of a fabulous first-half performance.

Rory Fallon's second goal in as many games, a glancing header from Andy Robinson's corner, had been the least they deserved after dominating possession and playing some of their best football of the campaign.

Fact was, however, that Colin Calderwood's team stepped up a level after the interval and Swansea simply could not match them as the damage was done in a mind-blowing 13-minute spell.

A worrying thing for a team aspiring to compete with Forest for the League One title.

Feeling they have been unfairly vilified in recent weeks, Swansea's defenders have been keen to promote the "attack as a team, defend as a team" mantra, yet even Jackett was struggling to avoid attaching blame to the back four for at least two of Forest's goals.

Right-back Alan Tate would have to concede he was caught glaringly out of position for the equaliser as Kris Commons found James Perch loitering in an ocean of space down the left and the Forest left-back finished clinically with a devastating drive beyond the fingertips of Andy Oakes.

Two minutes later the excellent Commons finished superbly after no-one tracked his progress down the inside-left channel, and Forest supporters were delirious on 67 minutes when Junior Agogo sprang the offside trap, carved through Swansea's defence and deliciously dinked the ball past Oakes. And the Swans were done for, unable to raise themselves off the canvas.

"The first and third goals were gifts," Jackett cursed. "For the first, Forest's left-back was something like nine yards out and just passed it into the net. Leon (Britton) and Alan got caught sleeping down the right-hand side, which is unlike them. They've been very solid.

"With the second one, Alan perhaps could have got tighter to Commons, though maybe that's easier said than done. And the third was just a straight run from Junior, who got between the two central defenders.

"Forest's goals weren't even born out of 10-15 minutes of pressure. They were isolated incidents which we defended very poorly and put a clinical side into pole position in the game.

"We did very well in the first period and had the majority of the ball for long periods.

"But, whatever you say about the rest of the performance, it becomes very difficult when you give goals away as we did. Forest took their opportunities, but we have to be a lot tighter."

The fear is that Swansea's defence - deprived of long-term injury victim Garry Monk and with Dennis Lawrence set to miss Tranmere's visit as he heads off on Trinidad and Tobago duty - simply isn't providing a bedrock for automatic promotion.

There might be some talented individuals, but as a unit the rearguard just doesn't appear to have that required watertight quality.

The Swans have now lost five of their opening 12 matches - three defeats in the last four - and shipped 15 goals in the process. Jackett knows those statistics need improving fast.

"Defeats hurt and sting if you're the manager and it's not nice to know we've lost five out of 12," Jackett said.

"The basic difference between Forest and ourselves is they've conceded six goals, we've conceded 15. That's why they're top and we're mid-table.

"Whether it's as a back four or as a side, we have to improve if we want to be successful this season. We definitely need to do some extra work on the training ground over the next week."

And, as with Crewe's visit last week, Jackett knows there will be no margin for error against Tranmere. Groundhog day approaches.

Wales

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