Silvio Dante

I think you’ll find they could afford Tella. £20m Tella/£19m Trafford. Whether he would have wanted to come or not is a different question but you’re talking a lot in absolutes for a man with no discernable links to Burnley…

On the first point I’m not sure there was actually a great deal wrong with the Burnley side that went up - the issue was ripping it apart. They seemed addicted to signing a player a week for social media “clicks” and players who had played for them on loan and were available like Nathan Tella they didn’t sign. You then had things like signing Trafford at a vastly inflated cost and agreeing to a buyback clause to top it off! That their recruitment included Massengo should be a sign of how scattergun it was.

I think they do know, but that’s not the reason for the emails - and @phantom’s point about a new ticket system is a Maguffin. All season ticket holders will be on a mailing list (“A”) There will be a pre scheduled campaign for emails to be sent to ST holders at each stage of the renewal period. This would happen if 100 or 10000 people had renewed (“B”) However, the club only want to send those pre-scheduled mails to those who haven’t renewed (“A” - “B”) So, they know - because they need to know who is in the A-B list. But the mails would come irrespective of how many people were on that list.

We are?

Certainly was better than Stocky, but Piercy is definitely a level above him. Plus, Gregor’s continued use of “wide of the mark” got right on my nerves…!

No chance of a loan next season IMO. He signed for Burnley on a 4 year deal in 2022, so it’s approaching the time where they need to play or sell him as end of next season he’s got one year left and value starts to fall off a cliff. I stand by that we’re now two seasons away from an excellent season at league one and he’s been indifferent since, not helped by injuries. There’s a player in there but jury remains out at this level in respect of a £5m player as was suggested above. He needs a hell of a last five games for it to be considered at that price. Lower price may be worth the risk but either way, needs to be more than peripheral in the run in

I’m not sure that would prevent them, should they so wish, stating how many season tickets had been sold though.

I’m assuming you’re still living in the days of Gregor McGregorface and Andy “one for the road” Stockhousen. James Piercy is an excellent journalist and above the standard you normally get at a local paper such as the Post, particularly after the cutbacks at Reach. I do think he goes a bit too easy at times but he’s knowledgeable, articulate and doesn’t just ask banal questions. He won’t be there for long - he’s too good.

Things are worse than we thought!

How the hell do you make Henry Winter redundant? Possibly the best journo out there as his awards display. Yes, liked Lee Johnson a bit much but on the whole he’s a great read. Is it that the Times aren’t going to cover football any more as who do they genuinely get that’s better?

Performative outrage I believe it’s called. Like Lee Anderson getting in a strop over Oxford Street having lights for Ramadan and stating “I want my country back” because Easter lights (which never get put up) hadn’t been put up.

There is only one game that springs to mind for me when playing Blackburn. First game back in the old Division 2 after the 1990 promotion. Blackburn seemed a tough ask, packed Ashton Gate, 4-2 win with Bob scoring two. All looked so bright and then bloody Hearts came along. (Btw for those of you who didn’t see Dave Smith in action check the fourth goal. Try keeping up with that)

Wouldn’t be Twitter. Targeted ads on there are pretty much non existent (all of mine are of Jeremy Clarkson and Zoe Ball telling me to invest in BitCoin). Targeted ads on Facebook though are another matter - I’m getting loads of City ones on there every time I log in (noting Facebook is pretty much wall to wall ads at the best of times)

Indeed - the change in demeanour was noticeable and I wonder if it was a coincidence that a more relaxed LM used “stock phrases” less - I don’t think we heard “behaviours” or “process” once. It’s only human that when under pressure you revert to stock language and he looked as if some weight had been lifted. The million dollar question now is this - is he relaxed, and as a consequence takes the handbrake off, or does he feels secure, and as a consequence reverts to what has been his preferred way of playing up until Leicester, with a bit less pace and more patience. Hopefully the former. Both agree and disagree. What was noticeable about that presser was the extent he praised the players with, as you say, Max, Tanner and Roberts all coming in for sustained credit. What has happened on prior pressers as a pattern was that the coaching had been praised and the execution criticised (eg “We can get you to the 18 yard box but you have to do the rest” “Pat Mountains been working on that” etc etc). Its probably linked to the point above - he hasn’t been as relaxed in the pressers so the tendency had been to justify himself/his coaches in the first part (and again, that’s human behaviour). I thought - communication wise- last week with Hogg was a start and that was Liams best presser yet. Explaining properly to people about stuff like the dislocation as opposed to just saying “behaviours” goes a long way.

Yep. And let’s get it right, that was our Joey who signed those players. And that was reducing the average age following Glen Whelans retirement. I actually don’t mind Taylor as a manager but he’s taken over a basket case. I can’t see he survives 7 games without a goal, and two of his wins have come over rock bottom Carlisle. It’s not funny. Obvs.

Can’t leave them that way.

Biscuit Men 2 Soggy Biscuit Men 0

Indeed. If nothing else it’s proven that there are a lot of city fans in Yate and surrounding areas, that Yate is a picturesque and wonderful place to live and that the posters from this neck of the woods are articulate, humorous and I’d hazard a guess of extremely attractive. A hugely worthwhile thread and one which displays our South Glos second heartland in a wonderful light. The map I believe was published in support of one of the planning applications relating to the stadium. Definitely know the one you’re on about.

Merge Dave, merge. We need a rota system - you can do the pre Huddersfield one!

Here’s today’s presser. Most relaxed I’ve seen Liam probably since joining. Few notes: - Naismith will be out all season - Can do pre background checks before players come in to avoid injury and when in you need to manage them properly to avoid injuries - Across the game there appear to be injuries across several clubs - No new injury concerns from Saturday. Nobody due back for tomorrow. - Thinks the 4 clean sheets have been helped by time on the grass, coaching principles of how to defend and then the players have executed. Thinks players have defended well, particularly set pieces - Thought showed a different side to the team on Saturday with desire to defend the goal. Referenced 28 shots in open play vs Leicester and Plymouth - After international break considered it a block of 8. Thinks performances and results have been good. Played well against Southampton prior to sticky patch - Need to get to a point where it’s about us but not the opposition and we need to hit our levels. International break was a great opportunity to reset and refocus on us - Thinks Blackburn will be different from December and thinks we’ve progressed and evolved since that game - Saturday there was a disconnect out of possession but thought did a good job second half although looked leggy and conditions didn’t help - Distance between front line and back line was wrong first half on Saturday. System change helped in that in second half. - Thinks Roberts can play in a two but looked more comfortable second half, not just down to him but due to wider team being better. Roberts covers ground well and is good on the ball - Thinks Tanner has been outstanding. It’s a young group and can only improve. - Re transfers - looking at profiles of players to bring in and LMs involvement is now increasing. Wants a blend of profiles in the squad - looking for someone who is explosive with physicality but aware it costs. Abroad from a cost perspective is attractive but will need to look how players will settle and adjust. - Outgoings - discussions will happen after weekend. Didn’t want to discuss in break due to run we’d had and schedule busy since - Under 18s in the last 4 games ? -18s play tomorrow and we have to fulfil the fixtures and several got injured. If we get TGH and Dickie fit we have great competition (Pivoted straight to first team players when answering so looks unlikely)

And for the record, I don’t mind new housing coming in - the challenge, as it always is, is infrastructure. As you know, there’s been a lot of “fill in” developments in Yate over the last few years (side note re pubs - the Railway is another lost one), and I’d be agreeing that expansion outwards is the only way to go as there isn’t that much free space now even if that does infringe on some green belt. Infrastructure wise I don’t think you ever solve the traffic issues in Yate which are getting worse, because you can’t really widen the main routes into the centre, so for me it’s really trying to make sure you have the essential infrastructure in walking distance of the newer developments as they do extend outwards. Clearly can’t “force” private businesses though. The bit that does really get me though is that Ladden Garden piece, I feel really sorry for the residents there - I can imagine having moved in with a newborn 4 years ago on phase one and thinking “great, two primary schools”, and for not a brick to be laid yet on either when my kid would have been starting school I’d be pretty despondent. The other one I think is a bit bizarre is Wickwar. Big new housing development on the outskirts but no retail provision (even a local store) now in the village and none that are walkable due to the nature of the roads/distance. I can see why the residents there are so against anything else coming up. Longer term, as the “stub Ridings” is developed I’d like to see some kind of cycle link to Wickwar as they do feel a bit isolated there and it’s either drive to Kingswood or Yate to pick up a pint of milk.

Congratulations! Less of the hopefully though, you’ve got a job to do. Have any of us ever had an offspring not do the right thing and instead support someone else?

Working this logically: - The only GK is Bentley and Max’s progress is such that he’s a no - In defence would love to see Webster with Dickie but it’s not an immediate need so you look further up the pitch - No exceptional right backs still playing. Wouldn’t take 2024 Joe Bryan over Pring on left side - No exceptional DMs still playing. Argument for Pack but unlikely to still be able to do it at this level - So, on balance of current squad it has to be an attacking/box to box midfielder or a forward. - Any one of the current versions of Semenyo, Scott, Reid or Brownhill would improve us (as would Tammy but ruling him out as a loan). I’d find it hard to put a fag paper between those four, so one of them.

Tbf the Thorns farm in Yate, unlike a lot of the older converted Wetherspoons which are from as you say fantastic (and often historic) buildings was done by knocking together four single storey retail units built in the 60s - it’s pretty soulless due to that.

Christs sake I acknowledge you have read a satire based book which detailed an unsubstantiated “fact” not reported in any reputable media sources and on that basis it has to be confirmed as factually correct as otherwise you’ll get upset. On a similar basis, please accept as fact the article below confirming Michael Gove as the new face of Rimmel cosmetics.