AS any regular viewer of Sky Sports' Soccer AM programme will appreciate, "Change is (supposedly) not good" in Yorkshire.

The same would seemingly apply across the Pennines where Sir Alex Ferguson is widely credited as having created three teams during his 21 years in charge of Manchester United.

But Ferguson's fellow Scot Billy McEwan is now working with his third group of players in less than two years at the KitKat Crescent helm as a glance at the team-sheet for this afternoon's York City home match with Grays Athletic will illustrate.

With McEwan's second anniversary as City boss approaching next month, statistics prove that a major rebuilding exercise has been overseen in that time.

McEwan, himself, has admitted that people have refused to believe the play-off chasing team he has assembled this season bears little resemblance to the side that finished eighth in 2005/06 with continuity normally the key to gradual success in football.

But no further evidence of the changes undergone at the Minstermen over the last 12 months, let alone two years, will be needed after comparing today's starting line up with the team that took the field in the corresponding fixture last season.

From this afternoon's first XI, captain Manny Panther is expected to be the only player, then on City's books, who faced Grays last January.

Darren Craddock also featured in the match but, at the time, was on loan from Hartlepool and, from that side, Chris Porter, Dave Merris, Mark Hotte, Darren Dunning, Tcham N'Toya and Joe O'Neill have all departed the club while Clayton Donaldson is suspended, Mark Convery injured and James Dudgeon out of favour.

Ten players, including Craddock, that are expected to make up today's starting line-up have been recruited since.

The other nine are Tom Evans, David McGurk, Anthony Lloyd, Danny Parslow, Lewis McMahon, Neal Bishop, Martyn Woolford, Steve Bowey and Craig Farrell.

McEwan's transition from his first inherited KitKat Crescent team to a second can also be measured by using last season's home match with Grays as an example.

Only Porter, Merris and Dunning from that game participated in McEwan's first fixture in charge - a 1-1 draw at Forest Green Rovers on February 10, 2005.

White Rose wilts

The Minstermen would welcome a wind of change in their fortunes at the grounds of their Yorkshire rivals.

Here's a trivia teaser for you - name the only away ground in the county where City have tasted an away victory during the past six years and three months.

For those with fading memories, the answer is Huddersfield Town's Galpharm Stadium back in August 2003 when Chris Brass enjoyed his third successive league win during an impressive start to his managerial career.

Either side of that surprise victory, though, lie ten matches that have brought very little joy for the Minstermen at the homes of their White Rose rivals.

At least, Tuesday night's point earned in Halifax, following on from last season's 2-2 draw with Scarborough, means City are edging ever closer to another away-day derby victory following a run of five straight defeats at their nearest neighbours.

Since winning 3-1 at the Shay in October 2000 thanks to goals from Lee Bullock, Mark Sertori and David McNiven, the only away success City have enjoyed in 11 away Yorkshire derbies was that 1-0 victory at Huddersfield courtesy of another Bullock goal.

That sequence includes painful memories such as the 5-1 humiliation at Scarborough and the 3-1 defeat at Doncaster when relegation from the Football League was confirmed, as well as cup exits at Rotherham United, Sheffield United and Halifax.

Proof, if any is needed, that change might be a good thing.

Midfielders make their mark

MIDFIELD trio Neal Bishop, Emmanuel Panther and Steve Bowey are all vying for the Press Player of the Month for January award going into this afternoon's home clash with Grays Athletic.

Panther rocketed into contention after a Press man-of-the-match display during Tuesday night's 1-1 draw at Halifax.

The City skipper received three points as our top man and another two as the clear choice of our readers' e-mail vote.

The efforts of recalled pair Lewis McMahon (two) and Martyn Woolford (one) were also recognised as our second and third-highest rated performers.

Bishop emulated Panther's feat by being our selection as man of the match and that of our readers during the 2-1 defeat at Kidderminster last Saturday.

Goalscorer Craig Farrell (two) and Woolford (one) picked up the other points.

Woolford has moved to within six points of leader Clayton Donaldson in the Player of the Year standings, based solely on Press ratings.

If you would like to present the winner of this month's Player of the Month competition, please e-mail dave.flett@ycp.co.uk with your man of the match from today's game.

Press Player of the Year standings: Donaldson 27, Woolford 21, Bishop 18, Farrell 18, Goodliffe 15, McGurk 13, Panther 12, Bowey 9, Craddock 9, Foster 8, Peat 8, Evans 7, McMahon 6, Convery 5, Lloyd 5, Dudgeon 3, Parslow 2.

January Player of the Month latest standings: Bishop 9, Panther 8.4, Bowey 5.4, Farrell 3.4, McMahon 2, Woolford 2, Lloyd 1, Parslow 0.4, Stamp 0.4.

Goals: Donaldson 20, Farrell 6, Woolford 5, Bowey 3, Convery 2, Panther 2, Peat 2, Goodliffe 1, own goal 1. Assists: Donaldson 11, Bowey 5, Farrell 5, Woolford 5, Panther 4, Bishop 3, Convery 3, Craddock 1, Dudgeon 1, Goodliffe 1, McMahon 1, Peat 1, Stamp 1. Bad boys: Craddock 1 red, 6 yellow; Peat 1 red, 5 yellow; Donaldson 1 red, 3 yellow; Bowey 1 red, 2 yellow; Farrell, Panther both 3 yellow; Dudgeon, Evans both 1 red, 1 yellow; Farrell, Goodliffe, McMahon all 2 yellow; Bishop, Convery, Greenwood, McGurk, Stamp, Woolford all 1 yellow.