Much is expected of Karlan Grant and Grady Diangana this coming season. By the end of the season, neither player were really in the frame under Sam Allardyce, certainly not when it came to starting matches. He had his 13 or 14 players that he turned to each week to give the club the best opportunity of surviving – that was in vain, of course. So Grant and Diangana have had to bide their time, all the while knowing that the likeliest outcome would be that they will have another crack at the Championship the season following. In Valerien Ismael, they’ve appointed somebody who has an excellent track record working with younger players at Barnsley and who managed to inspire that group from the doldrums up to the heights of the play-offs.
Valerian Ismael said: “I’ve told the guys that we will restart now. What happened last season has finished, you can’t change what’s gone on. So it’s a big, big, season for those two players. The two players suit the philosophy exactly and I’ve spoken already with them. I have told them they can have a massive part to play this season. My job is to make sure they are fit, they stay fit, and they have the right mentality so we can enjoy the two players.”
So both players fit the bill for Ismael in terms of what he is looking for – that’s particularly encouraging. Both have played prominent roles in the pre-season friendlies so far, and have lined up either side of a centre forward – Ismael still wants another of those, needless to say. Each and every player asked about Ismael so far has sung his praises. With authoritative man management and the appropriate guidance from the Frenchman, Grant and Diangana can both be big players this coming campaign.
