headhunter

This is live at 9.00 AM then on all podcast platforms from 11.00 AM We discuss Friday's game, how the side that faced Man Utd 6 years ago this week compares with what we have now and that JL Senior Reds lunch - we were there.

The "pile on" of criticism towards Ian Gay just proves my point that he is our very own Piers Morgan - people love to hate him but they still listen/watch. Ignoring my own opinions, and just remember like any host, some are made to provoke debate I note no antipathy towards Neil or Mark. On the topic of loans, which was a suggestion of mine, I had to laugh at @Sir Geoff who replied, "Haha, you've all spent 2 1/2 years bashing Pearson for not making any loan signings then spend 15 minutes arguing that loan signings are not a good idea. Unbelievable!!" - @Curr Avon [Mark] has already corrected him in this thread with the reply that centred on the viability of paying unproven youngsters from the Prem a likely £25k per week and my point was that any loan signing had to be better than what we already had. For example, a "first pick" ahead of Mehmeti or Bell on the left side. 7000 downloads across all episodes in the past 30 days suggests we're doing something right!!!

I keep saying that on FBC too - the memory of the 2004 play off final still haunts me

Had the pleasure of being invited on by a Mackem's podcaster to talk about the weekend game. Made a change from keeping the "Spouting Hobbit" and the rest of the gang in check on FBC!!

Goodness me, you've a good memory!! I had that from 1981-1999 . Poor man's Phil Tottle - now that is an insult. You're not an ex-candidate of mine that I didn't include on a shortlist for a role you applied for, hence the veiled personal insults. Ian was described as a "spouting Hobbit" in one of the comments on our You Tube channel . He's our Piers Morgan - love him or hate him!!! And that is the difference between us and them - you can't run with the hare & chase with the hounds. Oh the joy of independence & free speech!!!

The owner said in 2004 when appointing him as manager, "...judge me on Tinnion". Who'd have thought 20 years later we'd be back to this!!!

It certainly is and drew the comment from another You Tube watcher who described him as a "spouting hobbit"

Is there a town called Malice is Sunderland when its a City in its own right!!

Thank you so much. Here is a link to the You Tube version for the non-podcast fraternity:

That is the root cause of the problem. He does appear to be more accountable to his Masters in East Anglia.

I feel there are around 15 clubs playing for 2 remaining [just my opinion] play off positions. We are still in the mix but it will be interesting to see if that remains the case come the final whistle vs. Millwall on January 1st. Manning, by then, will have been in charge for 10 games [that excludes QPR] which is a credible stretch to offer an indication on whether Nigel's sacking was followed by the right appointment. If we're, say, 8 points or more off the play offs the reaction from the fans will be becoming more toxic from some groups than it already is.

I'm with you 100% on this

Are you a Burberry boy? Baseless comment. Not everyone's cup of tea & even I find him overbearing at times but he draws more listeners than turn offs. I think a couple of defeats on the road this week and you'll notice a change. Manning's been sold a pup by the Lansdown's viz. top 6 squad not performing to potential, any support we give is on the basis of giving the bloke a chance - why wouldn't you?

, had to laugh in a friendly way at some of those comments. Yes, I do like to extrapolate but it was not a case of conveniently forgetting. First & foremost I support the football club and don't pin my colours to any manager. We have to be objective on FBC and offer both sides of any argument. Ian is regularly criticised on here for his opinions but you'll note he's been broadly supportive of Manning and often refers to the "cult of Nige". As I have said more than once, the manner of Nigel's exit was badly managed. He has a lot to be proud of from his time here, the main one being he took us through a reset without losing our Championship status. If I'm coming across as being supportive of Liam it is solely borne out of reflecting my inner sentiment of "ffs, I hope they [Lansdowns] have not got this wrong". Two tough away games coming up and this forum will become even more rabid if we secure less than 2 points.

That, in a part sentence, is why he is no longer here. We were never massively pro-Pearson on FBC but he deserved greater respect than that shown by the Lansdown's who were let down by poor advice IMHO by the club's communication / PR resource. Much better look to be upfront and say his contract would not be extended but [naturally] would be honoured and allow him to leave and make a full recovery from his back issues.

Whilst it was dull for long periods in the opening 45 at least we went in with a deserved lead but, for me, the 2nd half was a horror show from beginning to end on so many levels. Liam Manning is learning how to manage at a higher level at our expense. I really wish he had a number 2 alongside him someone like, er, Nigel Pearson which has some logic but was never going to happen once the owners decided they didn't like him on a personal level. This is a link to a live at 7.00 PM podcast [*] recording hosted by DaveP who'll try to take the positives from the game in discussion with Ian Gay, Mark Tovey & Neil Sutton. No sugar coating from us and at the same time picking up the sentiment from the post-match chatter on OTIB & X [*] available on Spotify etc from c9.00PM / Live on You Tube & X

We discussed on FBC Podcast this week and I went: 3-1-0-3-1 which totals 8 and would put us on 33 points which in simplistic terms equates to 66 for the season and a 9th>12th final placing - we are we are are as is so often said! Is 8 points from 5 optimistic? Would keep us in touch with 6th.

Can we give this criticism of Tins as a manager a rest. In his first season [04/05] in charge he missed the play offs by a point and, for me, might have got us over the line had he not had Keith Millen foisted on him by Lansdown. An experienced head alongside might have made all the difference. OK, the start of 05/06 was poor culminating in the 1-7 at Swansea but others have kept their job since for worse runs than 1-3-4 from the first or any run of 8 games.

Couldn't make the book signing last night but here is an interview with Alan which I recorded in March last year for FBC Podcast In conversation with ... series: https://foreverbristolcity.podbean.com/e/in-conversation-with-former-city-manager-alan-dicks/

Thanks for the back handed appreciation of FBC! Always has and always will be wholly independent. You can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds which reading some of the comments on here 3Peeps are being accused of.

Ian, Neil & DaveP discuss an eventful game at Ashton Gate against Michael Carrick’s in form Boro After a slow start City went in at half time 2-0 ahead thanks to an absolute stunner from TGH and a coolly slotted home penalty by Tommy Conway who had fluffed a one-on-one opportunity only minutes before. But with barely 10 minutes gone in the 2nd half that lead had been surrendered and another Stoke City throwaway appeared a distinct possibility but no, City came storming back with Mark Sykes crashing in a volley from Dickie’s header across goal. The big question – did we notice any change in the playing style after 10 days of coaching from new boss Liam Manning. For me it was a yes and that from an occasional observer of City who joined me for the game and commented on the high press more than once as City had all ten outfield players in the opposition half. That same observer also remarked on how City seemed to lose out on most of the 50-50 challenges with frustrating regularity. City will face an even tougher test at Southampton on Wednesday and if they come through that unscathed then that play-off challenge looks more than a pipedream.

11 - the foreign grounds stumped me!

Agree with that. For those replies to my "defence" of Tinnion post, I was still on the the anti-Lansdown bus viz him making Tins have Millen as his Assistant.

Oh for goodness sake in reference to Tinnion, "sacked in League 1 as manager for nearly getting us relegated" - it was after 11 games he left. He'd finished one point off the play offs in his first season and who knows might even have got us up with an experienced assistant rather than Millen at the insistence of Lansdown. This isn't supporting the party line as we've been accused of on FBC this past week, it just stating the reality of what happened 18 years ago.