Red Exile

Well said - and exactly what I believed were were doing when we appointed Pearson, Rennie, Fleming, Euell Pity the Lansdowns threw all that away for what's - on paper - a League One set up.

I mean that phrase has no provenance - Manning hasn’t asked for 3 transfer windows. It is a fact that you’ve barely posted on here previously. To be fair to OTIB I don’t see much discussion of hotdogs. New posters have no less right to be heard but it seems reasonable to think that people pay more attention to those who have been in the community and regularly contributed for years.

Same goes for the owner - 'trust me on Tinnion' has echoed down the ages.

Correct. In the context of this thread it's a phrase used by a contrarian poster who has rarely posted...has no provenance whatsoever.

I guess I admire the efforts to drum up support for a manager we barely know and who very few folk on here have had a pop at, but two observations - the following lines don't hold up: 'Previous mangers...given 3 transfer windows to build their own squad so let’s give the fella time.' No one believed that NP was sacked with a view to giving a successor a year to build a new squad. That won't wash. 'the new style he’s trying to implement I’m enjoying': no one will have enjoyed the first half at Blackburn - two of the senior players tore it apart in commentary.

BTW...fascinating to see what the club's media team strategy is. Try to flood OTIB - a respected and slightly feared forum for dissenting views - with new accounts expressing views supportive of the status quo. Get people arguing with these new posters and deflect the criticism. A word of advice - focus on creating something positive worth communicating and find some communicators. Address the core of the criticisms - don't waste your time trying disrupt the critique. Many of us on here have been following the club 20/30/40/50/60 years. Football fans aren't so fickle.

...therein lies the absurdity off the whole situation. We again appoint a rookie at this level - a coach, not an experienced manager - to lead a side to success in one of the toughest leagues in the world...where sides with parachute payments field world class Prem level players with regularity, where more or less every match is intensely competitive and where the matches come up to twice a week, with few breaks...leaving little time to coach new systems. Without wanting to revisit the LJ debates (no need - the verdict is in - he's doing an indifferent job at Fleetwood) what on earth has possessed the Lansdowns to again ask a rookie to learn in this environment? (Don't bother to reply - I know why) Graham - you've made reference to QPR - there the approach has been to find a young proven manager, albeit in another country/countries. We are constantly fishing in the wrong pond. We've ditched Pearson's Prem experienced set-up and I fear we have replaced it with League One. And to those arguing for giving Manning time - it won't be up to us! LJ was failing for months, arguably (by me) from the moment our season fell apart after the Man City game. He was given all the time needed to run the ship onto the rocks, and all the treasure with it. There will be so much loss of Lansdown face if Manning doesn't succeed - he'll get plenty of time. Good luck to him but I rather despair!

Don't underestimate the value of leadership. Look at the players whose form is slumping - Tanner, Bell, Conway, Vyner - all players talked up by NP. When someone of his stature tells you and the world that you've got something you believe them, and in yourself. When Liam Manning walks into the dressing room for the first time you almost certainly think - who is this? Look at the players we need to get us out of this current rut, the players with experience, what you want to see as a new manager is respect, what we heard from Naismith and Wells in their first half commentary last night was borderline disbelief. We supporters need is belief. That interview takes us back - as others have said - to the SOD era. I've nothing against Manning, know almost nothing about him like everyone else, but the impression given by that interview isn't one of leadership. I'm not sure where it is found at Ashton Gate at the moment.

I fear we are already back in LJ territory - the land where a it will 'all come good', where 'doubters will be proved wrong' - a world in which 'belief' trumps evidence - in which managers with no real track record are going to miraculously acquire one managing Bristol City.

Showed promise in the second half. First set of subs made an impact. So credit due. But what was that first half about? Sad thing is that we are now in a reset, this season is over, unless we get dragged into a relegation scrap. Didn't need to be this way. As for Manning being under pressure, he's going no where, all the time in the world, he's the Lansdown's boy, he could have a record breaking losing streak like the last one and he'll be as safe as houses. Just hoping he doesn't turn out to be quite such a dud.

This is much better. Cornick and TGH have made a big difference. As unconvinced by Mehmeti as I am by Bell.

This is awful! Playing like strangers. Looking weak. If we have a tactic I don't see it.

I'm sure there'll be those to tell us later how all of this is very promising - but it looks remarkably like 'hit and hope' long balls to me - with a touch of headless chickens. How is this an upgrade on what Pearson was building?

Looks like a shapeless mess to me...and obviously also looks that way to Naismith and Wells!

Well that had mid table mediocrity written all over it. Felt we had momentum under Pearson. It's fizzled out...the story of the Lansdown years. Ah well. Past caring. Hoping we supporters might create a great day out in the cup...feels as though that's all this season has left to offer.

The HT talk worked!

It's Owers trying to be positive! We completely dominated the first 20 mins. Missed a hatful of chances. They scored on the break. We went into our shells.

I take no pleasure in observing that if we don't have the players to play a system the manager is taking a big risk in playing it! If Manning wants to make an impression this HT is a good time to start. Have to say I'm unimpressed thus far. But of course early days.

This is where Manning is right up against it. We're watching from a distance. For all our early dominance City look punchless - some of the younger players we were told were the club's future look at best suddenly out of form, at worst not fit to play at this level - we look weak. All these were things Pearson looked to have sorted. If I can watch on with a degree of indifference it's because I feel I didn't vote for this - what I'm seeing is no reset but a regression to same-old, same-old. Manning has his work cut out if this is what's going to be served up for the next few months.

Conway there! What was he thinking? Where's the coaching in that? Looking out of his depth at this level - which is incredible given how he was playing last season. Bell likewise.

A perfect summary of my own new approach...it's paying dividends. I've noticed that the amount I care has no impact anyway!

Bell and Conway are shadows of the players they were.

Last ten minutes we've fallen apart.

Watching in Rome. Where the weather is glorious - couldn't be more different to Huddersfield. Crikey - I thought we'd got away from being a soft touch! Wasn't that the culture shift NP had worked into them? Got to take your chances.

Bit of a pile on on the OP here - so to offer some tentative support...we have clearly had passing through the club in recent years a raft of Prem quality players, or players in the making. A valid question is surely how we have failed to fashion out of all that talent, even once, a side capable of making a Championship Play-Off place? It's not just been about keeping players who don't want to be at the club - it's been about making the most of their time with us - but I doubt we need another review of the management failures of the LJ/Holden years, or SL and the true extent of his ambition!