Red-Robbo

2 hours ago, Open End Numb Legs said:

There was a day long visit to Gloucester by the PM recently. He met about 200 people at various venues, got asked questions all day. There was not one question about the election date, the questions were all about cost of food, energy, lack of local services, the NHS, police resources.... the list goes on.

We all know there is an election this year, the media are obsessed about it so they can claim a scoop. The public won't have long to wait for their chance to vote.

People DO want to know if we have 2 months more or as much as 10 months of the little shyte, so I'm going to respectively disagree that it isn't something people are interested in.  As for "getting a scoop", Sunak and his closest advisors will decide and usually get the GCS to draft a release to all media ahead of Sunak's meeting the King to get him to sign state papers formally dissolving Parliament. It's not a "scoop" matter. 

15 minutes ago, CheddarReds said:

Liam Manning asked him to show less emotion on the pitch

 Pulis would've signed him. 

5 hours ago, Open End Numb Legs said:

The media.

Recent events that they are totally obsessed with:-

1. Kate's photo editing. No one cares, except the media.

2. The date of the general election. No one cares except the media.

Incorrect on #2 - I can't wait to flush the collected turds currently governing this country around the political U-bend.

As for #1, there's a lot more speculation about this on social media than there is in "old media". People love a good conspiracy, even if it makes no sense, which is why I've heard pointless speculation about this down the local boozer. Gossip on social media has driven the media stories.

3 hours ago, DolmanGaz said:

maybe a brief spell in the top flight doesn't make you 'not dull', but it's the journey to get there and the promotion(s) before it that I envy...

 

I've had a season ticket 12 or 13 years and the highlight was promotion from L1 (and the cup run under LJ). One and a half seasons out of 12. Meh.

Being an old fart I remember our Division One days!

10 minutes ago, The Original OTIB said:

Keown really is the dullest of men.

He was great in Carry On Screaming...

3 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

We're pretty close. I'd say we're almost certainly the dullest club in the top 2 divisions.

Personally I believe this because 99% of the time when I'm asked who I support, and I say "Bristol City" I'm met with silence. A blank face. An "oh right...where are you this season?". Unless the person I'm speaking to is particularly versed in the travails of EFL clubs they just have nothing to say. 

I just find that other fans of football just have...nothing to say about this club. We're not hated, we're not respected, our stadium isn't famous, we've very few nationally notable ex-players, we're neither remembered or loved.

This is true, but then most fans say things like "I'm a Liverpool fan from Essex" or "I'm a Man U fan from Bedford" etc. I'd rather have the delightful self-conferred sense of superiority that comes from supporting your local club - no matter how shit they are.

3 minutes ago, The Swan and Cemetery said:

For me Luton is the example that compares most interestingly with us. Top flight football, winning the league cup (and runners up), relegation, vast points reduction, non league, back up the leagues to the Prem and may well survive. If someone told me in advance that would be our journey, I’d take it, albeit when they exited the league system it was probably less fun. Despite the horror of relegation, suspect a lot of us found 75/76, 83/84, 89/90, 97/98, 06/07 and 14/15 amongst our most enjoyable seasons. 

Yes but - as I remarked to a companion when they beat us at home early in Gary J's reign - however well they do, whatever they celebrate, it won't mask the unspeakable sadness of having to live in Luton....

1 minute ago, ChippenhamRed said:

Be that as it may, Reading fans have had a much more interesting ride than we’ve had. Two Premier League promotions, a play off final, and an FA Cup semi final at Wembley.

Some of the most boring games I've watched have been premier league clashes or internationals. Some of the best games I've watched have been non-league - Bath City beating Torquay 4-3. Wells City beating Burnham to take the Somerset Senior Cup. 

Higher level might mean higher skill but it doesn't necessary mean more exciting football. Cotts (and Danny Wilson) probably delivered some of the most exciting football at AG in recent years, but at third tier level.

That doesn't mean we should give up the dream of a return to the top flight and meekly accept possible relegation in order to be "a big fish in a small pond".

But it does mean, it would be nice if we played exciting football as well as at least maintaining our Championship status. We're a dull side currently, but that doesn't make us a dull club.

Underperforming is the word. 

2 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

This is our 40th season spent consecutively in tiers 2 and 3.

21 seasons in tier 2 and 19 in tier 3.

But I've never seen us play in "Division 5"  

2 hours ago, petehinton said:

Didn’t quite realise how much of an impact torquays -10 has had on them. Only 3 points above the drop now. 

Doesn't help to be losing 4-1 to clubs like Tonbridge Angels.

They are still a full-time professional club. Can see that changing next season, and it would be forced on them if they we're in the Southern League. 

15 hours ago, luke_bristol said:

Maybe GJ will finally bare his bum in Burton’s window as a tribute 

He cunningly chose a store that has gone kaput. 

4 minutes ago, Dr Balls said:

As my old mum used to ask “is it below the Screwfix?” If so, her opinion was that it wasn’t worth considering as any real standard of football. Have to say in Liam’s case, she’s spot on!

Ah, but Arrigo Sacchi, Villas-Boas, Brendan Rogers etc etc....

Surely, it's only a matter of time before LM helms AC Milan?  

I'm not sure having brief spells in the top flight in the last 30 years makes a club "not dull".

Reading are a dull club in a dull town with a dull stadium and could yet drop into the bottom division. 

What we are, is the consistently most underperforming club in the land, given some of the advantages we should have. 

10 minutes ago, Dr Balls said:

So maybe good enough for Sheffield Wednesday reserves then?!

Hey! Let's not mock the Eastern Counties Premier League. Prem experience, see.

(Joking aside, there are a number of successful managers who never made it as professional players. Liam Manning does not appear to be one of that number)

1 hour ago, pillred said:

You left out Wan King :laugh:.

He can play a bit. Wrong sports though.

2 minutes ago, BrizzleRed said:

 

If enough of us hit him in the pocket, let’s hope that brings him to his senses 

He's still worth £1.2bn. We could play to an empty stadium and he can still make money elsewhere faster than he'd lose it on BCFC.

It's the ego that will be hit, not the pocket.

Just now, BigTone said:

After living in Australia for some 20 years I can assure you that R.I.P is a very commonly used expression.

Working with Australian media groups at present. They all use Vale. It surprised me as well. 

9 minutes ago, bpexile said:

Which one had only one ?

Not Raheem Sterling. He has two.

1 hour ago, Mike Hunt-Hertz said:

On the grass again.

I'm getting the fear!

21 minutes ago, Bristol Oil Services said:

You learn something new every timeon the odd occasion on here, thanks. Still need to choose between Hitler and Himmler, though .....

I understand Hitler wouldn't come out of his bunker after losing 7-1 to Swansea the Russian Army. 

4 minutes ago, Bristol Oil Services said:

Was Himmler a veggie?

 Neither were. It's a myth that Hitler was. 

5 minutes ago, Bobtherobin said:

No CEO, a DOF who isnt anywhere near qualified for the role, with a head coach who is clearly miles out of his depth. Not to mention the owners son as chairman - what other championship club has such a weak governance structure?

There are other clubs with elements of that set-up, but we're unique in having all together. 

The lack of an experienced and forceful CEO is a big issue for us. It's allowing the club to spiral into relegation candidates and promises to undo all the forward momentum.

It's hard not to think of Tinnion as the Grima Wormtongue to Lansdown's King Theoden. 

24 minutes ago, bbew said:

Speaking to an ex City player when Manning was appointed I asked what the players would think taking instructions from someone who has never played the game,

Harsh! He was twice in the Suffolk Premier Cup final for Leiston (wherever that is??) and had the backbone-building experience of losing one of those 8-0 to Ipswich Town Reserves. 

8 minutes ago, Bobtherobin said:

LG would not be messing around with blocks, transitions or behaviours. 

You'd have to keep him away from the white lines however....  

3 minutes ago, CityCiderEd said:

Just using the analogy of not sacking a manager when a lot of fans wanted him out....it happens to every club in the league, it's a given when things aren't going well. I've been on OTIB for a long time and it's happened to every previous manager....even some perceived messiahs. 

This is true and there was a lot of discontent when Pearson arrived and things seemed to get worse than under Holden. NP did make some clunky moves in his early days here (eg: bringing in sloth-paced wifebeater Danny Simpson) but I think the slightly more clued-up fans realised that with Pearson it would be a slow burn: he'd rebuild totally and set up a footballing philosophy. And that wasn't a job he was allowed to finish.

Why Pearson was cut more slack after appointment is that we could see the direction of travel under DH - freefall - and we knew Pearson had achieved, and achieved mightily, at a club that had been a bit similar in the past.  That isn't something we can say about Manning.