Red-Robbo

Bristol Rovers ARE non-league. They are just enjoying a brief period in the EFL. I did say it is an "association". Not every journeyman player will be crap, which is why it really should only be used to mean "players with a lot of clubs".

No, but any sports journalist will tell you that journeyman is used in a different context in US sports (and in boxing everywhere) than it is in team games outside the US.

The word came into existence a long time before Association Football did. @PHILINFRANCE has given a full explanation of the origins of the word. And yes, widely travelled is implied. "In British English, a journeyman is a player who has represented many clubs over his career" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journeyman_(sports)#Boxing,_kickboxing_and_mixed_martial_arts In football, accumulating dozens of clubs on your CV suggests that none wanted to retain your services for long, which is where the association with mediocrity comes in.

Journeyman players by definition have made lots of 'journeys' to different clubs. This implies they aren't fantastic, because clubs tend to try to hold on to fantastic players if possible. But not all run-of-the-mill players are journeymen. Some are content just to stay in one place for a long time as long as the management is happy to field adequate but not terrific players. If we made a list of BCFC players in that category, we could take all day.

Well, we have to trust Pearson's judgement, but I hope this won't be one we end up regretting. I get the feeling if Pearson had been our manager in L1 days, he'd have got rid of JET.

I love that he actually managed to outjump one of Cardiff's big lads! Jay put in a very decent shift. As always, he carries the ball forward very well. It was the performance of a man who was telling his manager: "I want to be involved every game".

That's a shame, it's a nice ground. Looks like it's destroyed their main hospitality area and smoke damaged some parts of one of the stands. Shouldn't put Molineux out of action, but will cost the club (and their insurers) a pretty penny.

This is it. After the omnishambles of last season, we can see progress. People not interested have either left or are being sidelined. Players are gaining confidence. Skills are being sharpened. There seems a better understanding between the team. Passing is becoming more instinctive. It really is a team in transition. Pearson has been able to halt the calamitous decline - and he's done it largely without being able to spend, utilising young talent.

Ralls was a bit handy with his elbows too. Off the ball usually. The couple of cards the ref showed calmed that down and allowed us to play football. After a few nightmares at AG recently, I feel I should praise yesterday's officials. Let the game flow, got very little wrong, were unobtrusive but professional.

You need two decent keepers in competition with each other to keep themselves sharp and give the club options. I'm not slating MOL, but I'm not in favour of selling Bentley (unless he wants to go) for that reason. I'd rather Wells and/or Palmer were offloaded. Criticising a player for a mistake doesn't mean you think they are shit. Massengo was great for us in that game, but his clanger in the first half led to their goal.

I reckon growing that hair has sapped his strength.

Was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet. Some of his play was sublime. F- me! This lad has come on so fast from the raw and not quite ready for the Championship youngster we saw in the past two seasons. It genuinely excites me to think what he might achieve.

Agreed. He seemed rooted to the spot and a piss-weak header just bounced under his arm.

I'm inclined to agree with this Cardiff fan on their forum: "The 80's called - they want their idiots back."

I've been critical of Antoine in the past and thought he might be playing in the wrong position, but your penultimate line hits a very good point. Certain players just "click" with certain managers and certain types of coaching. Antoine will be still on the curve where experience and maturity is improving him as a player every year. But the Pearson effect on his recent performances shouldn't be underestimated. Conversely of course, there may be some players who do not like Nige and haven't bought into what he is trying to do. We probably saw most of those depart in the summer, but there may be a few still here. Football is a game where personalities can clash and affect performance.

Phil Collins is Voldermort:

He looks like one of the goblin bank tellers in Harry Potter:

It makes it seem amazing that they only drew when they came to Ashton Gate. More proof, that the best time to play these "big" clubs is generally earlier in the season when they may have lots of new faces and haven't hit their stride.

Would you say that more promising youngsters are now being signed up by the multitude of well-financed academies? Compared to the days of my youth, when kids who were good at the game signed "schoolboy papers" with clubs, but in practice didn't spend that much time training with the professionals.

Reckon? The loudest I heard them was when they booed taking the knee. Louder than QPR I'll grant you, but that isn't tough. Generally speaking, it's when northern types come to AG that you hear the most songs. I guess they are just registering their delight at having encountered indoor plumbing for the first time.

Secret Scout rated him... https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9041455/THE-SECRET-SCOUT-Southamptons-rising-star-Ramello-Mitchell-necessary-assets.html

He might have before he made his move. As soon as the ref blew the whistle though he knew he might as well head to the showers.

Someone with more time than me could probably make up a killer list of players who are on the books of big teams as kids, were released, but went on to prove themselves.

Which one, NI?