GrahamC

Definitely seen Henriksen in the training video & I’m pretty sure Benkovic has been there, too. Having said that Benkovic is clearly not going to be here beyond the end of this season & the next 9 games will show if we are in any way interested in extending Henriksen’s stay after then. The story in the Portuguese sporting press suggesting that we are looking to make Pereira’s switch a permanent one seems credible & at present he is by far the most likely of the 3 to be in BS3 next season.

Really very difficult to choose, Benik has played very little football all season because of that injury so he may feel he’s fit now, but he isn’t going to be 100% match fit. Fam has his critics but is physically our most imposing striker, was in excellent all round form pre lockdown & improves us defensively. Nakhi is the most clinical finisher, has scored the most goals of the 4 this season & may not get 90 minutes but seems to be the likeliest starter. Andi is a smart player with superb stamina but hasn’t scored a goal in 2020 so is more likely to feature either wide right or as a sub, I think. I’d be inclined to start with Wells & Diedhiou myself but think it is more likely to be Wells & Afobe. As others have said, 9 games over 3 and a bit weeks will probably see some rotation anyway & of course Afobe can’t feature in the Stoke game anyway.

It is, but in every other season there is no football played in this month so if you know you are leaving at the end of it I cannot see how a club can make you play in June, or if they force you to, be confident about the performance they will get. You’re right, apologies.

Pretty sure that technically contracts expire at the end of May and so the final salary for June is effectively a goodwill payment, meaning anyone who has already been told they are being released like Solly, or who has signalled their intention to move on, like Taylor is effectively out of contract now. The compromise mooted was to extend contracts temporarily in order to allow those out of contract to play but it is absolutely their right to refuse this option.

You imagined it, he scored our goal to put us one up.

Well, he made a homophobic comment about him when reading our lineup out, if that’s what you meant (and I’m sure was what @Merrick's Marvels was alluding to).

In 1994 I was driving through Hungary & stopped in a car park at Siofok near Lake Balaton. It was pissing down & the car park was very quiet but 5 minutes later a Hareclive minibus pulled up & a bloke got out in a City shirt. I debated getting out & having a chat but it was far too wet. I drove off just after wondering if it had actually even happened.

Athletic Bilbao, an amazing & unique club.

Adomah signed for us whilst Coppell was officially our manager but it was already a done deal with Barnet by GJ from well before he was ever appointed. Coppell was a very strange man, he made SOD seem like a stand up comedian & his reasons for not taking over for the final two months of the previous season were downright bizarre & a definite indication that his heart wasn’t really in it. The rumour that James was signed by the owner, not the manager (hardly a first in BS3, Tony Thorpe was another) but despite his off the record briefings that he wasn’t backed Coppell was allowed to give Hunt, Stewart & Cisse very lucrative contracts they never earned again in their careers. A disaster.

Sorry to be a pedant, but re question 7, I’m pretty sure that we lost 4-3 in Pisa and that we didn’t win any of our games in the final stages of the Anglo Italian Cup, 2 defeats at AG & with our only draw being 2-2 in Cremonese (yes, I was there).

Pretty sure we drew 1-1 at Crawley that day. When Radio Bristol went over to the game all you could hear in the background was City fans singing “5 minutes until the Gas go down” over & over again. ******* hilarious, forget what happened 30 years ago, this only happened 6 years ago & will never be forgotten. Bet Radio Bristol don’t ask anyone to phone in with their memories of this (especially that poor horse).

Yes, I was. Everything about the entire day was truly effing awful. Rovers played the most basic route one football on a dreadful pitch very effectively, were cynical, dirty & we were very poor. Their manager (Francis) & many of that team, Alexander, Jones, Holloway & White will never be anything less than figures of total hate to me. On the way out I saw a guy I knew quite well who was walking back to his car with his old man. I found out later his Dad died of a heart attack not long after I saw him. It always put the dreadful experience into some perspective for me.

I agree. Was prepared to argue it was pretty much even Steven when we had shifted a lot of deadwood (O’Neil, Golbourne, Garita) & those awful loans plus getting back what we paid for Hörður. The 7 we have brought in might not have 2 individuals as effective as Reid & Flint but overall do strengthen our numbers. But today’s business means 5 starters from the Man U game have left & we have sold our best 2 players. Lansdown’s aim of top six seems totally out of reach, even equalling last season’ 11th looks a very tall order.

Italian window closes on August 17th.