ralphindevon

With a couple overs to go a very Somerset type of day at the Oval. I really like the look of this years batting line up, even better when Abell returns. But even with all those capable batters in the team I’m still always waiting for a collapse followed by a bit of a tail wag. Plus whenever we get the opposition in late in the day we never seem to profit from that awkward pre close session. Hoping Bash takes a hat trick now to prove me wrong.

Not recently but I’ve done exactly the same before and was surprised when I couldn’t pick it up on the Saturday having ordered in the previous week. Not wanting to derail the thread but I thought the ‘74 anniversary shirts would be ready for collection now, anyone know?

My wife is a Stoke fan, I’m scared too.

Maybe penalties don’t count as shots?

That was good! I’m enjoying these clean sheets and now goals galore. Also enjoying see a city team not putting their flip flops on just because we’re safe.

Missing tonight’s game as I didn’t feel up to it after having to get our 21 year old cat put to sleep this afternoon but that has cheered me up. Blackburn have looked so poor at the back and we should be 4 up but still very enjoyable.

Tommy won’t get an easier chance of a first half hat trick

Very true and something some of our fans should remember. Like the critics of O’Leary, if this keeper that’s better than max that doesn’t make mistakes exists, he’s hardly gonna be demanding a move to Ashton Gate.

Smith was like lightning, sadly the end product wasn’t always to that standard

Yes I wasn’t criticising your post just looking at it from a different view which may have been quite surprising to some. I do make it the 25th of February with a 1-0 win over Hull though. I think it’s the first time in my 48 years of supporting City that we’ve had such a long period of mid table finishes. There was a time when I craved it, especially in the Championship, now I’m getting a little bit bored of it but be careful what you wish for I suppose.

Last season we actually had enough points, 45, by the end of February, game 34 I think, but still people were worrying right into April. it’s not just points ahead of the team 3rd from bottom to look at but also how many teams lie between you and them, they’re not all going to win every game while we lose every game. I’ve not been concerned at all this season, even at the end of the bad run we always had quite a few teams below us.

Yeah maybe it’s the same for most fans but it does feel we have fewer big occasion matches than others. If you’re forever in mid table that’ll be the way I suppose. Look at Rotherham, they get regular promotion seasons but of course have to put up with relegation seasons to get that. But you only have to look at the fact 50 teams have played premier league football and we, with our nice ground and over 20,000 ave attendance aren’t one of them.

It’s memories like this that make you realise just how few great moments we have as City fans. That was a truly great evening, beating our local rivals after what had gone on earlier in the season, a comprehensive win and a general feeling that there would be no stopping us winning the league. It just feels like days/evenings like that are very few and far between for us.

Spoke to a few Plymouth fans in the pub on Monday before the game and they were all very keen to get Nige onboard.

I’m home from an away day earlier than I am for a home game and with Torquay almost in the same league as Bristol Manor Farm we need all we can get. And we’ve done the double on them and I had a gorgeous pasty!

A lovely day out in Devon. Great to see us beat a poor team, Plymouth didn’t look anywhere near the goal threat they looked at Ashton Gate. Even though they lost that 4-1 they came very close a number of times that night. Today they never looked like scoring. Hope they stay up though.

Once again a lesson for all those quick to write off that what you see when a player has a bad game isn’t necessarily what you’ll get going forward. These players train full time and there’s every chance they’ll improve. I guess we should say the same about the Manning too, I’m sure during those dreadful games he wasn’t thinking this is fine, surely he was looking for ways to Improve and this weekend we have. I’m not saying he the messiah all of a sudden but we’re stuck with him at least until at least Christmas I’d guess, so here’s hoping.

The shortest I’ve had to travel for a City game since I lived in Bristol 21 years ago. When the fixtures came out I was hoping we’d still have a chance of getting in the playoffs when we visited Plymouth. Looking forward to it anyway. A draw, probably 1-1.

Yes that’s where we’ll be heading

Crikey, I’d forgotten about that place. A search shows it closed 18 years ago and is now student accommodation.

Certainly the fans I know that are around my age don’t have a problem with us at all but it wouldn’t surprise me if the younger fans from both sides had a little scuffle in the park at some point.

Yes he’s been a right pain in the arse at times over the years but sadly there’s plenty of competition right now for being the worse.

His appointment to our games always seems to get it’s own thread but I don’t think he’s been the worse ref in recent years, not even close.

Not a season he’ll look back with much fondness, it could have been different. Two attempts he’d expect to normally take, one late in extra time to beat Forest setting up a home tie v Man Utd next and one which would have surely seen us go on to beat Ipswich which would have had Manning and Tinnion purring about it until Christmas.

Crikey! 39 years?