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Things are quiet and as an Oxford fan I've been looking at this thread with interest - for the record, I like Sykes and you may have got yourself a player on the cheap here. If you visited our forum you will have witnessed one of the maddest and longest running threads we've had regarding a player in a while. When Sykes arrived from Ireland he publicly said that we he saw us as a 'stepping stone' - not the most sensible thing to say but he's certainly not the first and won't be the last. We saw some glimpses of what he could do in his first season but he was generally off of the pace and needed to be more physical. His second season followed a similar pattern - increasingly frequent cameos but still not holding a place down. At this stage the club seemingly made a few attempts to offload him but for whatever reason, he stayed. 21/22 saw a distinct step-up, at least until January. His decision making, physicality and final ball all improved and he was getting into scoring positions and actually putting the ball away. At his best he was playing wide of a midfield four or front three and while best on the right, can also play on the left. I've not looked at the stats but he's fit, it's not unlikely he covered the most ground of any player and and has rarely been injured. He has enough pace and a good level of skill. However, from January his form dropped off, partly down to having a long stint at right and occasionally left wing-back, neither of which he is. This was primarily down to our manager not having recruited enough defensive back-up. I thought he generally gave it a go (although others would disagree) but he was nowhere near as comfortable or effective. As it became increasingly likely he wasn't going to sign an extension, people became more antagonistic toward him - it's fair to say he became the scapegoat toward the end of the season and some idiots referred to him as 'coward' (he pulled out of a couple of heavy tackles that went for throws at Rotherham - didn't bother me) and 'cheating' the club of a wage. It's fair to say that most fans never warmed to him - he was slow to acknowledge us and avoided ostentatious kissing the badge gestures. I liked him as a footballer and was disappointed we didn't get more out of him but I don't have a problem with someone wanting to better themselves - after all, it's a short career for most. I'm not sure I'll miss him much but he won't be as easy to replace as some would have it. He'll probably need some TLC from the management but it's a worthwhile gamble on your part.

"Why have we suddenly got a minority of fans being absolute dicks lately?" I think the answer to this is simple. People see the government flouting any rules they see fit, and think, **** it, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Doris J and his cronies setting a poor example, the gloves are off for the mindless.

Didn't realise that ex city centre half john mcphail had a fall in December and is still in a coma. Understand they are having a minutes applause at Wembley on 5 minutes tomorrow. Very sad news loved watching him play a no nonsense defender .Best wishes to the family ?

Martin was beyond all of us. He followed City home and away for more than 50 years while living in South London. He was so positive and brought City fans together at away games all over the country. I spent hours with him on trains and night buses. He loved his friends and family and was chatting to me during 99% of my abysmal match reports. The best City fan ever.

People have forgotten how to behave. Look at our 'leaders'. Rapists, coke sniffing, liars. They're having a hugely damaging impact on society, let alone their efforts to turn us into a 3rd rate country. Ignore the rules, do what you want, **** the consequences. You'll probably get away with it anyway.

Absolutely, sacking a manager isn't always the answer. Look what happened to us after we sacked Gary Johnson.

What was it about those who challenged you that made you think they were cancel culture/snowflake brigade? Or is it just that the Daily Mail/Telegraph has told you that anyone who disagrees with you about anything is ‘cancel culture/snowflake’? Just trying to understand your apparent view that anyone who may have ‘supported’ LJ is a snowflake/cancel culture and how on earth it’s related.

Should player be abused? No of course not. But anyone say calling for fines and bans for fans, points deductions and other punishments need to grow up or stay away from football. Fans have been doing pitch invasions for as long as I can remember, including ironically Swindon at the county ground against Port Vale 2012! Fans spend thousands of pounds and years of travelling up and down the country for very few moments like these, dont let a few isolated incidences and the media fool you into forcing an agenda to ruin rare moments like these for real fans. Sky sports were more than happy to jump on the bandwagon last night and shows how out of touch they really are.

After the disgracefully assault on Billy Sharp and what appeared to be Swindon players attacked after the final whistle. I feel the FA will be expected to take strong action against fans and potentially clubs. And surely there will be a move by some to bring back the fences and caging fans as we once where. I dread the return to these measures. But honestly I am in disbelieve at the action of some fans. I hope life bans and proper jail sentences are used for all involved. Our game does not need these idiots.

Anybody else sometimes wonder if it would have been better if they’d just b******** off to the Super League and not come back? Greed, greed, greed.

Don't disagree with your point, Alan, but not sure you've actually looked at what's happened here. Shock. Burnley took four points in seven games before Sean Dyche was sacked and have taken 11 points from seven games since. They've already won as many games under Mike Jackson as they had in the five months previous under Dyche. They were going down without the change. And Frank Lampard, who has undoubtedly overseen an upturn in Everton's results, was only appointed four weeks before Jesse Marsch at Leeds. Still, don't let facts get in the way.

Wow, just wow So because you spend a few quid (individuals choice) following your team you should be allowed to invade the pitch? Its pathetic to see grown men doing this and the quicker it stops the better

Jeez, that’s terrible. One of the best CBs I saw for City (relative to the league we were in). Hope he somehow pulls through.

Typo? ?

As much as anyone who frequents the politics forum will know that I have no time for the bunch of charlatans in Downing Street, I think to make a link from their knobness to the current spate of pitch invasions/violence is a bit of a stretch. A few weeks ago after the Bournemouth game the point was made that a load of city fans arrived late, coked up, stood at the front, didn’t watch the game and generally behaved like arseholes. They didn’t do that because our prime minister broke Covid rules, they did it because they’re arseholes. Just like the guy abusing Viera, just like the guy butting Sharp. The question is, as arseholes gonna arsehole, how we stop them tarring the rest of us with the same brush. (FWIW I think the invasions at Vale, Goodison, Forest and Rovers were totally understandable and sprung from joy/good natured in the main. It’d be awful to lose that spontaneous joy factor through these knobs)

I thought sacking Dyche was mad, but they have definitely had far better results since, so that completely demolishes this argument. 5 defeats in the last 6 games under him, they were 4 points adrift from safety then. Now they are out of the relegation zone with 1 game left & won 3 drawn 2 & lost 3 since he went.

There is a certain irony in undoubtedly the most pedantic member of the forum taking exception to being corrected on something! ???

Don't bother mate, some on here believe he is the antichrist and won't have a good word said about him. What's even worse is that generally it has less to do with his efforts in Management or on the pitch, but to do with the way he looks and talks.

He was only here for a season but what a great centre half he was. He could head a ball further than most players could kick it. A really classy defender who I wish we kept longer, he was a great servant for York and Sunderland.

How the hell have you even brought Brexit into this?

Anyone else clucking for a line after reading all of this?

A nice comment underneath that article! “Also a disgrace was the pitch invasion at Bristol Rovers a few weeks ago. The pitch was invaded 5 minutes from the end when BR scored a seventh goal to lift them into an automatic promotion place. The game restarted 20 minutes later but I imagine the opposition were too scared to play anymore and just wanted to get off the pitch safely. If the opposition had pulled a goal back in those last 5 minutes BR would have had to settle for the playoffs, not to mention the riot that may have ensued.”

“As a Manager, I like to turn up the attacking dial during the game and I want to play a high-tempo brand of football. I felt connected to the Hibs project very quickly. I am looking forward to getting stuck in and embedding the process. We’ve got a team of players that naturally fit my style and of course we are going to have to recruit to try and enhance that. You’ve got to engage players, make them feel wanted and valued and you’ve got to make them believe in that playing style. Whatever happens we must compete and compete at the top end of the table."

Discipline is not the issue. Respect and values are. Plenty of these utter scumbags hold down jobs, keep fit etc. Things that need discipline. The problem is they think this sort of behaviour is acceptable, normal. That is the problem and it comes down to leadership, values, respect, upbringing.

How the hell do you smack a child in a loving affectionate way?

It was just as bad then, it jusy wasn't reported as no one had camera phones and social media

You may not change your mind, but you are wrong even so. Evidence strongly points to physical deterrents/punishment not reducing defiant or aggressive behaviour, and nor does it reinforce good behaviour. There is in fact substantial evidence it causes worse behaviour long term, including into adulthood as well as mental health issues.

Eddie Howe has taken a lot of stick, on here and elsewhere in the media, but I think he has definitely proved he has got something by the impressive way he has improved Newcastle.

Between 80/82 we woyld invade the pitch if we won a throw in....

Police forces have consistently had their resources cut, leading to charging the clubs for their time leading to clubs employing largely ineffectual stewards. Stop voting for cuts.

Such a pedant that they can't handle when someone corrects them.

A lot of angry people in this country at the moment. Anger + booze + maybe drugs, is not a good cocktail

That's actually brilliant Hadn't noticed that. It shows how tightly they have these angry blokes by the balls, that every time someone disagrees with them it's now part of the liberal lefty agenda . ****ing mental thinking.

Arsenal and Liverpool have announced new kits this morning, Liverpool's made by Nike have an adults for £114.99 and Arsenal's made by Adidas have one priced at £99.99 ?

Let me talk you through what a day on coke at the football looks like. This is what happens. Lads have a few pints to whet the whistle, normal stuff like everyone does. You a bit tipsy/lively. You get a bag in. Costs about 50/60 quid or 3 for a 100 (you may have seen memes about this on-line) The coke "sobers" you up. You feel normal, excited, feeling good. Super chatty, really enjoy your company. "CITY TIL I DIE!!" "**** THE GAS" all that shit, its fun. You continue to pour more booze into yourself because you don't get "drunk" (you ARE drunk but are able to stand up straight and hold a conversation without slurring, a bouncer will let you in places for example) So by this point you've had ten pints but to the outside world you look like you've had about three, but in your head you are proper mashed. You may feel OK but things like decision making, paranoia, excitement increase ten fold. Something might happen, you might get aggro or overreact and then there's a problem. You don't think about any consequences to your behaviour. Fight might start, you are rude to people, obnoxious "Lads Lads Lads" etc. Coke is a stimulant, but pouring a shit load of cider on top it makes actions and behaviour much more unpredictable. This is how you create a bellend. And if you went out in town tonight you'd see hundreds of them, they are everywhere.

Today it's social media/the internet In the 90s/00s it was video games. In the 80s it was video nasties, dungeons and dragons and heavy metal music In the 60s and 70s it was drugs, rock n roll and later punk music In the 50s it was American movies causing juvenile delinquency In the 20s and 30s it was "negro" jazz music

You’re simply wrong. Anyone who went to football matches in the Sixties and Seventies will know that there was far more wilful antisocial behaviour then. While there are some bad apples, I am constantly amazed at how well-balanced and sensible most of today’s teenagers are. A few pitch invasions and people go completely over the top. Yes it has to be stopped but be real, in the 60s there was open fighting on the terraces and people were getting badly hurt (I saw someone stabbed at Ashton Gate at Ashton Gate as a youngster).

Bloody snowflake generation/ disgusting degenerate youth* *delete as appropriate to fit narrative

You genuinely believe that there is more anti-social behaviour now than there used to be? Because I do not believe that's remotely true. Pick a decade and there will be just as many examples of arseholes being arseholes. It's only rose tinted nostalgia that makes people think the past was so much better.

This is such a huge myth. We actually only signed 2 players in the summer after the playoff final, Maynard (a brilliant signing) & Gavin Williams. GJ also sold Nick Carle to help fund this. The latter wasn’t anything special (a bit injury prone) but hardly a shocker in the vein of an Engvall, Palmer or Styvar. We finished 10th in that season and did so again the year after, this “decline” was actually our joint 3rd highest finishes in this division since 1980, the best was of course in 2007/8, also under GJ. The last season under him was when he lost the plot with a variety of random strikers but it is simply nonsense to claim he was largely responsible for the stuff afterwards.

Society and the behaviour of ' do as I want' attitude was always going to escalate...because we have taken away discipline and consequences for actions. Parenting and school discipline has changed too far. Now we are living with the consequences. Discipline and education starts in the home. Unfortunately that has eroded. Too many now blame others...Schools/Government for their own behaviour. If you can't self control, and think for yourself and need telling, you are becoming more like an animal. It's only going to get worse.

Well fair play, it’s nigh on impossible to have a lower opinion of Lee Johnson’s ability to manage a football team than I do, but for the life of me I can’t think how pointing out he won The Papa John’s Trophy means you’re part of the much feared ‘cancel culture/snowflake brigade’. What a truly absurd remark. Potentially the maddest thing I’ve ever read on this forum to be honest.

£10,000 fine & a ten year ban for entering the pitch . Make sure there are plenty of posters , social media notifications so nobody can say they didn’t know . Even adverts on talkSPORT , sky sports etc. I see news outlets saying Patrick viera will be in trouble for what happened , but how about the ***** that was in his face . Punishments need to be hard , to rid these **** wits out of the game .

Wembley has flat horizontal fences which stick out rather than up, which are more difficult to climb over, which is why you don’t get many pitch invasions as Wembley.

Iceland actually... To be fair I've thought of getting one of these... (Yes, this is a real T Shirt you can buy)

Zero achievements? coached at a time where our players were going for fees like we have never seen before regularly. You may not like him but to say he never achieved anything here is wrong

Agreed, legalise, regulate, educate

The petrol is added to the leaves in a barrel and helps separate the stuff which becomes the cocaine with the other bi products of the leaves, Gordon Ramsey (due to his brother being a drug addict) did a doc on it a few years back. I would recommend anyone who takes coke watches how it’s made, how many people are involved making it and trafficking it and where their money eventually ends up. Unless the whole process of making it is regulated and it’s use legalised, everyone who takes coke has blood on their hands I’m afraid. Gordon Ramsey Cocaine Doc

Legalise it, regulate it, tax it. Improve education, reduce crime and ensure that the product is not cut with toxic substances.