tin

Excellent post . Some people seem to think there’s someone out there who could sprinkle some fairy dust on this rabble and turn us into world beaters, all without spending any cash. The class of 2021/22 are a bottom-six outfit. Sack NP and we start over again. More cash wasted and we’re a less attractive proposition. The new man wastes time assessing the squad, the backroom staff, the medical team all while we struggle to be competitive. We’d be odds-on to go down. Stick by NP and we might stay up, offload more of the deadwood in the summer, sign more of the Tanners or Atkinsons and become more competitive next season. They need our support more than ever IMO because one thing we all agree on is relegation is not an option.

What evidence can you offer to back up that they’re better players than they showed today? Many of them have seen off LJ and Holden already. Bentley’s been guilty of making as many costly individual errors as top saves recently Tanner’s fresh out of L2 (and been a real positive) Baker’s been knocked out cold Atkinson’s had the virus and is learning his trade at this level Kalas and Dasilva should both be doing better James is solid if unspectacular Massengo is learning his trade, got physically bossed today Weimann and Martin haven’t been at the races in a while Wells is starved of service COD, Vyner, Bakinson, Palmer, Moore — either nowhere near consistent or good enough to make it at this level. That looks like a sow’s ear/rabble to me. The legacy of wasting the proceeds from selling the family silver.

The question should be is SL willing to back any manager ever again after the money squandered under LJ and MA. No manager worth their salt would be willing to touch us with a 10-foot barge pole if he’s not — because the waste that’s gone before puts us at risk or breaching FFP now.

One unnamed member of the squad has had the virus. My best guess, despite my own reservations over him not being anywhere near up to the grade at this level, is it might be him.

Win, lose or draw it’s been a rudderless ship under SL’s watch for two decades. But why we’re choosing now to moan about it, after we’ve unsurprisingly been soundly beaten by a side relegated from the PL last season, I don’t know.

Makes you wonder what their annual salaries are if that’s true. It was only a matter of time before the axe fell on them, but I have to question the club signing off those deals on big wages during the middle of a pandemic.

I remember that day well. Am I right in thinking that's the last time we got anything from the Hawthorns, 22 years and 8 months ago?

You're right in that LJ had to sell players, but don't be fooled into thinking he didn't want any of the "mostly (inferior) ones" he did sign. He was the head coach and could've said "no" to Ashton or done the principled thing as resigned if Ashton was buying players without his input. LJ insisted on the signings of Brownhill and Webster, he could've vetoed signing the likes of Diony or Palmer (to name just two) if he really wanted to but he wanted his clubs in the bag. All my opinion, of course.

I'm glad to added the first part of that sentence as, for context, LJ had the likes of Reid, Bryan, Brownhill and Webster to call upon at various times. He also spent the most in a failed bid to get us over the line. What's left is largely his squad and they're nowhere near decent or consistent enough to challenge in the top half, IMO. Looking at the signings of Atkinson and Tanner, I'd rather NP had the amounts of cash that LJ/MA burnt through, but we are where we are.

Williams, King and Semenyo are all out tomorrow. Wiliams and Semenyo are meant to be two weeks away, King will be out for longer than that. I agree with Pearson that KP, COD and TB are passengers; Vyner's not up to it at this level for me. I'd like to see Benarous given a decent run-out.

Great anecdote but what surprised me was Dicks saying “10 or 12 years ago, I offered my services to the club again but was politely declined”. Reading between the lines, does anyone else think that he threw his hat in to succeed either GJ or Coppell?

Sorry to be pedantic but they’re not. Bristol Live is part of Reach (formerly Trinity Mirror), the Mail belongs to DMG. Two different publishers.

Because we have no strength in depth whatsoever, and that's on the previous regime. If we had a fully-fit squad to choose from, I'd say we're probably a pacy winger away from having a top-half-of-the-table starting XI. Beyond that, there's no quality at all. The signings NP has made have improved us, IMO.

Nail on the head. Nobody can legislate for Scott missing an open goal before he scored, Wells hitting the post when he should've scored, and the ref ignoring a stonewall penalty either. Forest came here last night towards the top of the form table and on another night, we could've beaten them comprehensively.