RedRock

Yep, that no/no acceptable bids were received surprise me too after, what I thought, were very good performances. He was definitely performing at his absolute max though and maybe it was thought there was little scope for improvement to attain the highest levels in the game. In a non-international tournament context, I think he’s a top 10-type Championship performer. What he needs for me is to start bagging a few goals and developing playing partnerships with others - an almost impossible task at our Club to date due to our player turnover and, seemingly, a complete lack of awareness in the Club of the value of partnerships.

Well, we all know it won’t be a ‘name’. It’ll be someone that Mr Ashton can ‘have a good relationship with’…i.e. control. Really pleased we’ve currently the diversions of the Mark Ashton, Joey Barton and Lee Johnson weekly soap operas. Really entertaining in these dark days and helps to lessen the pain of witnessing our own pretty inept performances. Even better when the likes of Ipswich fans, who were given fair warning, slag us off. One by one you can start to see the lightbulbs going on and a slight hint of panic developing. Poor sods.

The Exit Strategy. Our new BBC Breakfast Time Presenter is ….

Ugh.

Win - Win for us that Case. Joey can now continue his good work for us.

….and breathe. Another three very welcome points to the cause. Even better, decent comments from opposition fans… we’re apparently ‘bang average’. Delighted. Well done Nige, onwards and upwards.

Matty Taylor proving a point against LJ.

Critical game for us today. Confidence amongst fans will collapse if we lose. 0-2.

…and do you know what, the final insult to the child - no doubt parts of this monster of a woman’s ‘human rights’ - was that she didn’t attend the final day victim’s statements and judge’s summing up and was allowed to stay in her cell. Sickening.

Firstly, may you rest easy little one. You will be a shining star in the sky. As far as City oz comments, yes, a symptom of the Society we live in. Blame the State first. Feel it is inappropriate, when so close to the outcome of this wicked event, to go into a long debate about parenting. Suffice to say, my view is that if people decide to bring something so precious and vulnerable into the world, those same two people need to take responsible for their decision and nurture that child until it is strong and fit enough to make a positive contribution to this planet. As a society, we should make that clear as part of basic education. Always strikes me as odd, we have a ‘fit and proper’ test to take on something as inane as a football club, but there are no tests on adequacy for bringing in and ‘managing’ something far more important and precious to the world. To torture a child, anything that is totally defenceless and dependent on you, has to be one of the worst, if not the worst crimes possible. In this instance, the just punishment, hopefully, will be dispensed while they are incarcerated.

Nah, could never beat Charles Buchan's publication ‘Football Monthly’. Shows I was a trail blazer as an internet football forum contributor and an astute observer of the game that I had a letter published, aged 13, bemoaning (nothing changes there) the fact that the magazine ignored teams from the South West. I highlighted the fact we had talent such as Chris Garland and Trevor Francis. Think I received £5 for having the letter published - which was great riches in those days. Like another life frankly.

Lordy, these commentators don’t get it do they? Ref blew after the ball crossed the line. It was VAR/4th official who told him to allow it. Ref was originally disallowing it and indicated to Arsenal players as such. Well done VAR/4th official.

We are weak up front, weak in midfield. Can’t understand why Big Nige persisted with initially three, then two forwards when we can’t get any control of the play in midfield. Hopefully, he is learning…although I would have thought a manager of his experience would have already known how best to solve the problem. One up front..ideally, fast and mobile - so probably Wells, though could give Andi or, a higher risk admittedly, Semenyo a go. Hopefully, we’ve been practising this approach in training so it doesn’t look totally like a new concept introduced to a bunch of strangers on match day. Five across the middle. Just perm any five players from what’s available. They’re all pretty much of a muchness.

Wasn’t it Swansea?

Horrible times. We’ve done the change of manager, the CEO, backroom staff. Had the ‘new’ stadium, training ground. The local mega-rich owner. Even the marquee signings. The players are dire and the play equally so. Surely two players can form a playing partnership, link and understand each others play. Something, anything, on which we can start to develop some teamwork, patterns of play and identity. Is that such a big ask? It just seems such chaotic, random rubbish, mainly from half-arsed or made of glass players. In the past, even at the bottom of the 4th division, there was hope that something, on or off field, could trigger a change of fortunes. We just seem in a tailspin at the moment and no idea of how to get out of it.

Do you know what? I used to be like that. Not proper football, ridiculous scores, can’t head, shoot, no tactical awareness. … and the goalkeepers. In fact, there’s probably some postings of mine on here sometime back commenting as such. I take it as pure entertainment now. I was entertained with England playing the type of football I enjoy, with genuine desire, commitment and no little skill. Use of full width of pitch, speedy wingers, great crosses and lethal finishing…what’s not to like? Far more entertained than watching an England men’s side playing slow crab football across the pitch. Entertained far more than watching Bristol City men attempt to string more than 2 passes together, avoiding at all costs making a hard tackle or creating something resembling a team identity. I’m as far from Woke as it’s possible to get…. but I’ve had more enjoyment watching England Women football and rugby sides rattle up big scores over the last few weeks than watching the City Men for 3 seasons now. There’s also little to no play acting or disrespecting the referees which is a welcome bonus as well. Watching Bristol City women for free hasn’t been a bad use of time either.

Actually, back on topic, I thought it was great entertainment. Really showed that the team can put to the sword inferior opposition and have the mental aptitude to keep pummelling the opposition for 90 minutes by playing fast, expansive, clinical football with brilliant use of the width of the pitch. A great habit. I compare and contrast to the men’s team - the disparity between England men’s and San Mariano being very similar - and while difficult to criticise a 10-0 drubbing against the worst team in the world, the occasional lapses into crab ‘neutral’ football during the match shows the men’s underlying mind set.

They don’t have to be!

Thirty goals in three matches, not a bad return. Leeds vs Palace ain’t bad either, despite 0-0.

But there’s a proper defence and a Bristol City type-defence. I left my employers on a matter of principle, as I opposed Government policy. Pity solicitors/QCs have few morals. They should look at the evidence/previous and delegate cases that are ‘clear and obvious guilt’ to a £10 hour work experience person rather than creaming the public for £500 an hour to line their own pockets defending the indefensible.

Our recruitment has been an absolute joke for years - ever since Cotts left. Can remember saying on here if the Club can’t be arsed to change their recruitment model then they should just track Brentford and put in last minute higher bids than they were making on players they had identified. Look where they are as compared to us! Should have, ages ago, appointed a wise old head Director of Football and a network of scouts, under a Head Scout, who knew their stuff and used analytics to aid, rather than drive, the process. Instead, it appears we had a wannabe wheeler/dealer and some work experience chaps overseeing multi million pound investments and the future of our football club. For a fraction of the money wasted on the likes of Palmer etc we could have set up the scouting framework we need. We all know why it’s never happened don’t we. What surprises me is why nothing seems in place to change things now. Things don’t look good do they? Seriously, I think we’d struggle to put out winning performances in the National League at present. While a huge amount of this mess can be laid at Ashton’s door there do seem to be recurring themes developing under Big Nige. Massive opportunities wasted to progress this Club in the last decade. Opportunities unlikely to be available again for a generation or more. Beyond depressing.

Another to add to the conspiracy theory perhaps he was told, right, here’s an opportunity -TV and all that - to put him in the shop window. Perhaps, he’s just not got the mental strength to perform when under any sort of pressure. So, yes, the strategy backfired for the Club badly. An even more outlandish conspiracy is that Big Nige and his coaching team actually wants him to play in the first team consistently, that they believe he’ll be an appreciating asset and prove value for money over the next 6-12 months.

I suspect he’s already been told he has not got a bus ticket past January. To put in such a sub-par performance smacks of a sulk. By the Club activating his contract extension that is likely to mean less money for him/his agent out of a move in the next window. If that really was ‘I’m delighted to have another year at this Club and I’m out to impress’ type of performance, then god help us.

Assume that it’s to safeguard our financial interest. Selling in January for more than we’d get than if he only had 6 months left. Mind you, thought that about CoD …. and he’s still here. Hopefully, many of our current player’s bus passes expire in January.

Look forward to watching that defending again on this year’s Xmas Footballing Gaffs video. Appalling for any professional team, let alone one of (current) Championship standard. What are we doing in training to make such basic errors?