Merrick's Marvels

Because until recently we haven't had the players to play a back4 and 352 better suited those available. Tanner has taken time to find his feet at Champ level and also been injured. Ditto Pring. Ditto Atkinson. Wilson has been injured. Kalas injured. Dasilva's height a is liability in a back4. And anyone who says they were confident enough - at the start of the season - to play Vyner in a back4 is having us on. So the pieces haven't fallen into place until recently - Tanner now fit and up to speed, Vyner a revelation, Atkinson bang at it, Pring fit and in form. No-one would have picked that as a defence at the start of the season.

Maybe because he finds talking to the media boring. I'd wager a large sum he finds it his least favourite part of the job, a chore but a necessary "evil".

Probably that game in a mudbath at Trumpton that didn't end well. Might have been on a Sunday afternoon.

Well here's our Knockaert. He'll put bums on seats if he plays like that? Love the way he doesn't shirk the physical stuff or fall over at the first opportunity, too. Good luck, son.

Nigel Pearson. Going into the final year of his contract and we can't let the bugger run it down and leave for nowt next summer!

I think it's a miracle Everton need! Not sure Semenyo is the answer to their problems.

Their position in the table dictated that. They're 12 points clear of 3rd place with a game in hand, so virtually guaranteed promotion unless they mess up spectacular. Therefore the riches of premier league football in 6 months time are worth more than £25M now. They can have their cake and eat it - keep a good player AND get promoted. The calculation would be different if they were 17th, in a hole regarding ffp, with an unbalanced squad and trying to avoid relegation. When you take that context into account, its not a like for like comparison between the two.

Yes, looking at that it feels like we're getting somewhere.

He's obviously got a degree of genuine inside intel. But it doesn’t come from physically meeting Mehmeti or any other player we sign or being involved in that process. And he doesn’t work for BCFC, I know that much.

But not surprising. Tell me you're not surprised by that.

Out of interest, why would he?

Yes ironic given that's precisely what Man City did when promoted from the Second Div in 66, winning the First in 68, FA Cup in 69 and League Cup and Cup Winners Cup in 70. A golden period built on nothing more than good players and good coaching. Different times.

Precisely. This is exactly the type of fixture non committal Bristolians rock up to.

2nd leg was at Spurs, 2-0 loss Chivers with a header for the 2nd, game went to extra time I think. First leg at AG had finished 1-1 Gilzean scored for Spurs.

That's not a manager saying "he's going nowhere".

Not sure this lad will be rushing to swap a club that could be in the Prem next season for one that might be in League 1. Think our current league position might give some of our targets pause for thought before committing to us.

Damn

I see what you did there

That's not a recommendation!

Bristol Live understands that Crystal Palace, Semenyo’s preferred destination due to his London roots, were invited to make a counter offer but that hasn’t been forthcoming and Bournemouth have been the only club to make a credible bid and the 23-year-old is set to undergo a medical this afternoon.

Yep. Lead em up the garden path, then sell to Palace.

Adama Traore should do it

I'm not aware we were 2nd at Xmas last season and then failed to even make the playoffs. Which is the whole point when discussing that season. Thanks for prompting me to look this up and factcheck - we did indeed finish 11th. So I'm definitely not buying the argument others seem to be making that finishing 11th with a budget ranked 14th can be classed as over achieving. Unless I've got my wires crossed! A fantastic first half to the season, for sure. But 4 wins and 13 defeats from the last 25 games was appalling.

Just my opinion but I don't think the answer to saving Everton from relegation is Antoine Semenyo.

No but i understood you as saying that by having the 14th highest wage bill but finishing 8th, Johnson had over achieved. In a season when most would say that by failing to make the playoffs, having been 2nd at Xmas, the opposite was the case. Apologies if that wasn't your point.