italian dave

Which is interesting, because the Latin for “rest in peace” is “requiescat in pace” and that’s why you’ll still see R.I.P. in some non-English speaking countries. (And in Italian it’s “riposi in pace” - still R.I.P.)

Prelude to Ecstasy…….The Last Dinner Party

Four sticks……Led Zeppelin

I wouldn’t mind someone saying RIP VAR though……

Good one! And, yes, I’ve seen a couple recently where I genuinely haven’t had a clue. I guessed at one, and at the other I waited to see who came out! Risky though: there’s one or two posters over on a particular thread on the politics forum who’ll have something to say, and likely at inordinate length, if they spot this!

Let’s Have a Quiet Night In…….David Soul

Posters who discover a thread 15 pages in and then take it over.

Roxette………Dr Feelgood

Woodstock…..Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

And all those garages built in the '60s and '70s have gradually got smaller and smaller...!

Thank you EA. Anyone with half a brain, or at least with an iota of impartiality, would realise that he wasn’t talking about formations, tactics, personnel but about how individual players perform or carry out what’s been practised or planned. He can’t affect how Nakhi Wells finishes (or not) the relatively straightforward opportunity to put us 2 up on Tuesday. Good luck with your efforts at being a rare voice of reason on this forum. I’ve had it with reading what’s become an endless stream of not just negativity but of vitriol and pure hatred. There seems to be very little debate or discussion any longer. Just a determination to find fault and blame at any and every opportunity. I’m sticking with the politics forum for a while….it’s a far more civilised place, far more sensible debate and discussion, far more respect, and far less vitriol.

It's not inconceivable - looking at the weekend fixtures above - that even if we lose on Sunday - four of the nine team below Swansea get a point each and the remaining five get nothing. In which case - another game less to the end of the season - we're no nearer a relegation battle than we are today. And it's also not inconceivable that we'll do better against either WBA or Leicester than we will Swanseas!! I'm with you on the 8 points. I think we'll get them, and I think we'll get 8 after Sunday too. But it would certainly be nice to get three of them Sunday!

It is....popularised by Oprah wasn't it??

Hardly random though: I reckon about 50% of our collective pet hates are driving related

The Dress……Dijon

Hold Me Tight……Denzil Denis

Well I’m glad I’m not a screamer!! Thanks! And as I’ve said before, I make no apology for supporting LJ, as I support every other City manager as long as they’re in the job. Interesting that you mention blind faith and let’s just hope, because I’d say that it’s not being into them that’s the reason why I take the view I do! There’s a theory of life I’ve long tried to follow that talks about the value of distinguishing between those things you can control, those things you can influence, and those things over which you have neither control nor influence. And which says that there’s a lot of wasted energy and emotion involved in worrying about the latter. The value is in focusing on the first two. Whether any manager stays in a job or gets the sack is something over which I have no control or influence. And I suspect that’s the same for pretty much everyone in here. So it just feels like a waste of energy and effort to get too worked up about it. I’d rather put my energy into positive things that support the club.

@SkuseMe Thanks for the post: I won’t ‘quote’ the whole thing again! On that view of Ashton among Ipswich fans: I’m sure you’re right and to be fair the guys we met said just that. That theirs wasn’t a view many others would share. As for the game, you seem to have seen it much as they did. And I have to say that even as a fan of the losing side I thought it was a great game to watch: thoroughly enjoyed it. I’d say good luck for the rest of the season: but - selfishly - I’d much prefer a trip to Ipswich again next season than another one to Leeds or Leicester!!

Who exactly are the “anti-Pearson screamers”, SA? Given recent comments you’ve made, maybe you have me down as one? And if that’s the case then - as I’ve said to you several times - you have that completely wrong. If not, who? I honestly can’t recall any sort of concerted anti NP sentiment last year, and certainly no concerted campaign calling for his departure. Ive just had a quick look back at the last two matchday threads of NPs tenure. Both defeats. I thought maybe I’d forgotten something. But, no, no sort of campaign at all - quite the opposite in fact. And, as far as I could see, not a single post calling for him to be sacked. I just wonder whether these ‘screamers’ exist in the same place as Bristol Sport employees?!

Bloody hell RP!! Its bad enough having to wade through umpteen threads all having a moan, without finding a whole thread repeated within a thread

You could maybe argue that you’re both right?! And that reflects the bungled and illogical nature of the comms plan the club put together to deal with it. Everything is in place we have a top end squad, we don’t need to change anything, but we are changing things. Everything’s hunk dory and we’re bringing in someone different to do the same as the person we’ve just sacked. At the same time we need to do something different to get to a different place to where we are now. It doesn’t make sense. Which means you can read into it what you will.

I think maybe you’ve answered your own question Dave! I guess we’ll see whether the January window was about budgets or about who’s available come the summer. One thing I think is often overlooked - because it’s out of sight and off the field - is the issue of relationships and trust. If the assumptions on here are correct, then that was NPs downfall at the end of the day. I have no idea what goes on behind the scenes, but you’d imagine/hope that relationship and trust between senior people is now better. And that has to be a good thing for the club. I know you can debate whether the right people ended up leaving when those relationships broke down - but that’s a fairly pointless debate: it’s just about being realistic! And I know you can make the case @Capman makes above about speaking truth to power. And I don’t argue with that. But there are ways of doing that. And doing it in a way that ends up with a complete breakdown of the relationship isn’t the way. I think you’ve made the point in the past about Gould having been the buffer between NP and JL and it’s possibly his departure that’s been more of a problem for the club than anything else. Whether LM is just a ‘yes man’, or whether he has different skills in terms of speaking that truth - I’ve no idea, and I’m not sure anyone on here really does?

I'm at a complete loss to understand how you can say that I'm trying to frame your opinion as outrageous WSM. I've quite explicitly said that it's a legitimate view. Twice. I've very deliberately set out to simply say that there are different views on this; I've very deliberately stepped back from expressing my own view on it because I'm not trying to argue that one is right and one is wrong. I'm just suggesting that, depending which view you take will colour your view on the issue of finding a replacement. All you keep doing is repeating your view. Although you occasionally say the words "other people are entitled to their view" you consistently fail to acknowledge the consequences of that when they do hold a different view. Your last sentence sums it up. Your view is that Manning isn't a competent manager. Therefore it follows that most competent managers would be a better alternative. Someone who has a different view, that they haven't yet judged Manning incompetent, will inevitably have a different view on the likelihood of finding a better replacement. And, just to really really clear, I am NOT making a judgement on whether either view is right, wrong, outrageous or otherwise. I'm just making the point that those two different views on Manning's competence will lead to different conclusions about what happens next.

Just to clarify two things WSM: - I'm not trying to frame it as you against others. I'm saying you hold that view. Others hold the same view, others hold a different view. They're all legitimate. - by starting point I meant your starting point now for assessing the likelihood of us doing better if we appoint someone else. Not your starting point when LM was appointed. Oh, and a third - I could do worse with this squad. I'm confident that another manager could get more too. Jurgen Klopp. But we're not going to get him. And the point I'm making is that - because of your starting point - you're going to see a great many more inferior options than that as being better options than we've got. You've said as much yourself - almost anyone. Someone who doesn't start from that point, someone who hasn't written LM off, will still see Jurgen Clop as a better option but may not see as many others as you do. But it's all opinion and guesswork. None of us can be certain. Your view is as legitimate as anyone else's. But so is the other persons. Not sure what Pearson has to do with it.