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Good pod today to take part in. Almost went into 2 hours ( probably too long, apologies to @Curr Avon's wife.... Thomas and I were on our way back from the Sheffield game, so couldn't be on the previous week. I'd heard from @headhunter that it got a bit heated and David doubled down with the F bomb today . I hope we came across as passionate, but measured and with the ability to make comments based on factually correct statistics. Thomas is still in rehab after his ankle operation in late November, but from being in an Academy himself is able to not only relate to the coaching methods on show, but also potentially the lack of man management taking place. As I said on the Pod, the Swansea game is a crossroads for me. If we can get a performance and 3 points it'll be massive. Lose the next 2 and then WBA away and Leicester at home; whilst probably being 3 points or less off 22nd. Tough times and I haven't seen anything from Manning yet that he is up for the fight. The time for banal phrases and words is over. We need to see action on the pitch. Over to you Manning and Hogg.

Why we have the goalkeeping coach as our set piece coach is beyond me? Do we expect PM to train defenders in the art of defending and attacking corners and free kicks. Compared to other Championship clubs we don't really seem to have much of a coaching set up at first team level at the present.

Yes mate, my first team manager was fuming. We booked the 3g next to Weston's ground to play Keynsham. We've only played 7 games in 4 months at County Prem. My reserves haven't played at all since 27th Janz due to postponements. Weston's game at Chippenham was called off and they literally kicked us off as they wanted a training game. Some poor woman had to phone my Chairman and offer a full refund, but that isn't the point. It was a 2pm game and they could have trained afterwards or tomorrow? An absolute w##ker.

Dean Holden went after 6 straight defeats and we were in 13th. We play 3 of the top 5 on our next 4 games, the Swansea game is massive now for Manning. 2 wins in 13 and 9 points out of 33 have been masked by the 1 Cup win (when West Ham had their best 6 attacking players out Bowen, Paqqueta, Antonio, Kundas, Fornals and Alverez by the way). Watching the interviews after the game did anybody actually feel "This is the man to get us going again and out of a potential relegation battle"? I'm sure I'm not the only one who witnessed a manager who didn't have any answers and was looking to "get back to basics yet again". We all enjoyed the first half at Middlesborough (not the 2nd) and the Southampton game for sure, but the campaign is over 46 games, not 1 and a half and we have been poor since the Watford away game on Boxing day. The club can't afford to go down to league 1, by next weekend we could be 3 points off 22nd if Stoke pick up a win. Lose to Swansea and I think we'll be forced into action personally.

@petehinton Alex has done a great job with my ex first team manager as an assistant and my goalkeeper, centre back and centre mid . They've pumped the budget up, but are still one of the lowest I the division.

Because before the window ended LM was bemoaning the playing schedule and the pressure it would put on the squad. In the window we technically "bought in 5". 2 were straight away loaned back to their clubs, leaning 3 left. 1 of them has injury problems already (Murphy), 1 has been injured since his first game (Twine) unfortunate, but typical City. The last (Mebude) had a total 3 senior appearances and was a real gamble based on his PL2 performances from a year earlier. Add in Weimann leaving for TGH permanent and that was that Even if Mebude and Twine had worked out, neither would have added to a squad depth really. The injuries to Atkinson and Bell has exposed the lack of depth even more. BT went on RB to extol it as a magnificent window. The Twine injury is unlucky, but otherwise how is the window magnificent for this window? The lack of the available number 9 that BT described (so not TC), could have been alleviated by a loan signing of that description. If we are saying that even a loan signing of that description wasn't available I raise you a certain loan signing at Sheff Weds, a Mr Ugbo.

All I'm looking for with the game tomorrow is some form a reaction from either the team or the management in regard to the formation played. I travelled up to Sheffield last week, hoping for the above after the QPR game and what we got was a formation in which LM had previously got "0" league wins and a serious lack of commitment and attitude that if it happens tomorrow I'll be calling LM out on the FBC podcast on Sunday morning. I can deal with being outplayed (Leeds), but QPR and Sheff Weds to me outlined more serious issues at play.

I think we all know when this is going with Twine. A "only out for a couple of weeks", followed by 6 weeks out. Then a "should be included", then a "still feeling a twinge or some pains". Cue "needs surgery" and will be out for the season. What a cluster this January window has been for so many reasons. I'm guessing Tins isn't going to be going back onto Radio Bristol anytime soon extorting it as a "magnificent window"...

@petehinton is the Hand OK for Southern League? The Clevedon team are there or thereabouts for promotion this season.

@Carey 6 when did Sam Hedges leave Bridgwater? Remember him at Clevedon Town before he fell out with Alex White. He's one of @TomSutton's tutors at SGS now...

I think the Radio Bristol interview by BT demonstrated to anyone listening that the club as well as I'm sure Tommy's future is away from City. "We're looking for a big 6ft 2in, physical forward, that is quick and strong and can run the channels. He has to have 200+ league games etc etc" I'm paraphrasing here a little, but the gist of course, is it's not Tommy. Cue a move for a couple of million (all he's worth in the current climate unfortunately) to a club like Burnley, who will utilise his skill set properly, rather than trying to turn him into some form of Harry Kane.

The club have Ian Gay

@REDOXO There is a chat bar under the live feed on YouTube, it's easier than Twitter for me.

@Davefevs was up at Sheffield today amd on long way home now. Why does Manning persist with Wingbacks? None of his 6 league wins this season have been playing this formation. The trio of Conway Mehmeti and Sykes (who looked awfully rusty) were powderpuff physically and after the Ref turned down a few 50/50 physical challenges, they basically gave up the physical contest. Pring didn't look fit and was holding his knee a bit and Sykes looked like he could have done with some Under 21 games in rehab. My point is, Manning took until the 70rh min to change things (Wells sub) when it was clear it wasn't working at HT. He merely bought two subs on for a like for like (I don't see McCrorie as a wing back either. He looks like a novice at this level at the moment, worrying times.

Just read one of the Bristol Post's Rovers articles, it's actually "18" not "14" either OOC or returning to their parent clubs. When are they going to realise that they need to set up a proper Academy and at the very least a Under 21 team that will provide players for their future 1st team. Using us as an example (something they are very keen to do constantly), where would we have been over the last 4 seasons without the Academy players during a period of enforced austerity? I dare say, it would have been L1... Without a firm foundation to the club (through an Academy) their policy of short term contracts and journeymen is doomed to failure in L1. It works in L2, where money pretty much guarantees promotion (with 4 going up). It certainly doesn't work the higher up you go in the football pyramid where a need for continuity and development is more essential.

I think the thing with Rovers is they have a massive inferiority complex about us. We have been in a higher division for 23 years, with better facilities and almost 3 x times their crowds. As such they constantly try to drag out some element of individually that potentially makes them relevant to the City of Bristol. Hence why on any given statistic they don't rate themselves in relation to the other clubs in L1, it has to be against us; as if we are a club that they should be rating themselves against ( i think our turnover is almost 500% more than them year on year alone). It's almost like that younger brother that is somewhat in awe of his older sibling and feels that he has to prove himself all of the time. It's getting really really pathetic now isn't it? "Our passion, is bigger than your passion etc etc", "people like us more than you blah blah blah". Even when their new manager took over, it was "We have the potential to be the biggest club in the city".. err ok? Everytime they get taken over, their only hope is not to get up a division or get into the Premier league, it's to be bigger and better than us. I wish they would realise now that the vast majority of us consider them completely irrelevant to our future hopes and aspirations as a football club. I only delight in their constant ability to completely cluster every decision/plan that they have. Leading to them having a non-league stadium and 14 OOC or loanees going at the end of the season and having to start the whole process over again.

I see our old Andy Llewelyn (top postman... ) has been put on "gardening leave" by Bridgwater Utd. It was never going to end well was it? That club is an absolute cluster....

Bristol Rovers respond to 2024/25 season ticket price criticism with new deal for families - Bristol Live (bristolpost.co.uk) Well that didn't take them long to realise they'd made a massive mistake with their pricing for next season. I have to say that if I was a Rover's fan i'd be a bit concerned about the ownership at the moment. That open letter to the fans spoke a lot about hope and aspirations without any real financial committments. In the Jan transfer window they pretty much had to wait until the Collins money had come through for first Conteh and then the other 3 loanees to come onboard. Testament I think to their being no new money for new players. With 14 players either OOC or going back to their clubs from their loans, it's going to take a hell of a lot of money to either rebuild that team, let alone try and get an Academy team up and running at the Quarter. Would be easier ( and cheaper) to open up an Academy in Kuwait (hmm...)

I suppose this is a difficult balancing act. We've got 3 x STs in E32 and 1 x E28. If I was looking to pay as you go to games and forced to pay to go into E32 (at £39 per game) and then looked over at the "sold out" SS at £27 per game I would be a bit peeved. As I mentioned in previous posts, the £ per seat will come into.the equation at some stage. Obviously theatres don't do kids tickets for that same reason. The Gas are going down that same route as well (will have to see how that pans out for them of course). I can see an obvious bump up in price for under 12's and under 19s in the SS to the same level as the Dolman coming. With a caveat of keeping the price in the upper lansdown lower for under 12s. Thus people will have a choice and it won't impact in the POTD person who wants to buy a ticket as they can't buy in the kids area without a child ticket. In that way, either the club makes more money from the SS seat or it frees it up for a POTD punter. What this season has shown is that more and more people are wanting to come and see us play (which is a great thing of course). But I think the pragmatic element that @Silvio Dante describes will in time start to fall by the wayside.

The 3/4 of us always walk down to the gate and back from the park and ride. A wee but muddy of late, but nothing too bad.

@Carey 6 I also think that home game to Swansea when it all kicked off a few years ago (yes I know the policing around that day left a lot to be desired) contributed to us limiting the numbers given to away fans. No surprise that the areas kept clear are those close to the gates, closest to the Lansdown and Dolman stands.

Coming from Clevedon via Failand, I park at the Long Ashton park and ride. It's open until 22.30 Mon-Sat. I then walk down to the ground. I think it used to be 22.00, but they've extended it. The only problem is that it is shut on Sundays and Bank Holidays, which means that I park outside it. Generally been doing this for the last 5 years without any problems.

@GrahamC would love to see the breakdown of how many under 12 STs are in the South stand. At £50 a go (with free shirt), i reckon quite a few of the kids only go to 50% of the games, as the cost per game is what £2.10ish? No point anybody selling there seat back to the club for that. it's noticeable that when we had non ST games (cup against West Ham and Forest) the South stand is rammed again as people have obviously paid out for that particular match. I know it was half term and that would have some impact, but generally most league games that stand is at least 20-25% empty and it is of course bar about 20 seats, completely sold out to STs. I can see either the club making pricing the same as the Dolman for under 12s (£99, rather than £50); or limiting the number of child STs in that stand altogether. The club hierarchy sees ground at pretty much 85% capacity now (Atyeo is 4400, but limited to 3400. The new disabled sections have also taken some off the 27k capacity) and so many empty spaces they will start to do the maths again pretty sharpish over then loss of match by match punters and associated concourse purchases. Not saying this is the right course of action, just something that a growing business (customer wise) would look to expand on.

Good old "Tim" @TomSutton

From my son, who's at the game. "Atkinson has just gone off injured, does not look a good one"