Merrick's Marvels

That has Steve Lansdown's fingerprints all over it. Wouldn't be the first, or last, time he's stuck his oar in. The man just can't help himself, whatever the sport. Here's Pat Lam just a few weeks ago: "Steve Lansdown had a quiet word with me about playing the Bears way, he wanted to be excited about the way we play and I said I'd see what we can do". So because the owner was a bit bored at the rugger, he told the Coach to play a different way. Says it all really.

Why do you bang on about the Southampton game? Everyone was delighted with the win but no-one was fooled into thinking that was the team's true league form because we'd lost 4 of the 6 league games before that and then 4 of the 5 league games since. So again, why do you keep saying "everything was alright" after Southampton? Or do you take us for mugs?

What do you mean?

No he wasn't.

Let's see if a Liam Manning team ever goes toe to toe with Man City in a cup semi final. I'd say the odds of that ever happening are about a zillion to none.

That bloody tea lady! Damn fine goalkeeper.

Thanks for that H! And seeing as we're the inconsistent type, I very much doubt our first 15 set of results would be replicated by the second or third set of results. Otherwise we wouldn't be inconsistent! Thereby negating your theory, surely? Anyhoo, onwards and sideways. Hope you're keeping well Here's to putting the jacks back in their box on Sunday. Up the City!

Worse. Jesus wept.

Apologists say he was just taking about defending dead ball deliveries The reality is, he was saying that once the game starts he's powerless because he's already done his homework and given the players all the information, all the "detail", they need to win the game. Unfortunately, the journalist didn't have the wit to immediately ask - - But did you give them "the detail" about how to win when they bring on a speedy, direct Right winger but your Left Back and Left Winger are knackered? Of course, we all know he didn't give them that info - even though that's his job, to prepare his team for every eventuality, not just the one he imagined in his head so long as everyone - including the opposition - did was expected. Of course football isn't predictable, played by pre-programmed robots. So you need a Manager who can react in real time to unexpected developments And Manning fails to react, either at all or successfully enough, time and again. Emphasis on the word FAILS. He's not what we need.

No. Listen again. Yes, his comments are prefaced by talk about what Pat Mountain does. But then there's a clear, short pause which signals he's now talking about something else - and says... "The second the game starts it's very difficult for me to affect things in game" - later on he even repeats it: "In game it's really difficult to affect it" Then the the coup de grace / coward's abdication of responsibility: "You need people to step up and take responsibility". By "you" he means "I" Coward. The only time he's taken even partial responsibility is when he's once or twice said "we got it wrong tactically" - meaning, I got my homework wrong. In other words - if I get my homework right, and give you all the right information and analysis - the result is all the players' fault, good or bad. We have a chairman who's never achieved anything that wasn't handed to him on a plate, taking advice from a technical director who's never achieved anything that wasn't handed to him on a plate, and a Coach who knows all the theory but has never won a thing, let alone the stated aim of the owner of OUR NOT HIS football club - promotion to the Premier League. We are Lions led by nobodies. (Alternatives to the last word in that sentence are freely available. Fill yer boots.)

Mindblowing isn't it. Just disappointed a journalist can't pick him up on it straight away and say - that's bollocks mate. He has zero leadership qualities that I can see. He's basically just a Coach - a good one - but not someone you'd want fronting your organisation and, on the available evidence, not one you'd want directing tactics in real time on matchdays. His strengths appear to be studious research, video analysis and presentation, and putting on training sessions. To get to where the owner says he wants to - where most of us want to - Bristol City need a helluva more than that. So it's an epic failure yet again from the powers that be, it seems. Unless, by some miracle, our summer transfer business turns us overnight into the Barcelona of the Championship. Yeah right.

Yep!

Yes this had occurred to me too. If he'd been allowed to hit pause at Ipswich, go away and study some video, clip bits for the players, give a presentation... then go back and say "OK ref, we can start again now", then we might have come home with something. But football isn't a computer game. Part of his job is to react - in real time - to what's happening in front of him. Looks like he can't. Something you can learn? Maybe but if so, Bristol City are yet again just some Finishing School for novices. Brilliant. He's basically a Coach. We need a Manager. A leader.

I switched off after he said that. What does he think McKenna did on Tuesday ffs? Unless he genuinely believes Ipswich only won because his players stopped following his plan, so it was actually all their fault! Which is even more mental than his "I can't affect anything once the game starts" mantra.

But football ain't mathematics!

Name me one poster who has said they hate Manning. You can't, so wind your neck in. As for a father figure - it's Bristol City that needs that. History tells us so or have you not been paying attention?

They're betting the farm on "He needs the summer to get his own players in". He does deserve time and he does deserve his own players but there's a lot of evidence this season to make you wonder whether even that is the answer. I fear we won't enjoy finding out.

Everything to like about the result old chap. Would have liked to achieve it a bit more convincingly, that's all. But well done to all involved.

Got a headache Malago?

I doubt it mate.

No-one's complaining about that. The way we did so is under discussion. Nothing more.

The pass for the goal was excellent. 2nd half there was nothing remotely as well executed.

Well that didn't happen, did it! Nice idea, terrible execution!

True. Best way to protect a lead is to keep the ball though, surely, not hoof it and chase.