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Those are the hospitality package seats. So not available for general sale. I think that shows the lack of people picking up those packages that we constantly get emailed about.?

I thought he played Sims very well, when he came on. Was the only CB really to compete physically against him. Definitely a starter instead of Vyner in the next game.

To add to the points made here. When you look at our stats for last season, our first half points per game had us in the top 10; whilst the 2nd half we were 23rd or 24th. In short, teams tend to regroup and suss us out at half time; and then implement the transitions needed in order to stop us playing. The fundamental difference between halves today was in the second half they applied a 4/5 man press on our back three that stopped the passing channels into our midfield. City from 52 to about 80 min (until Sunderland sat back and tried to protect what they had) seized to exist as a coherant team. It was awful to watch. This isn't a new thing (as per my comments above about last season's stats), and we obviously saw it at Hull last week as well. Without the differential of Semenyeo, with his unpredictability, pace & power we are pedestrian in our approach. I lost track today of how many passes there were back to Bentley to just hoof the ball upheld. The worst time for me was around the 80 min mark, where as above Sunderland started to sit back. The lack of drive, urgency & energy in the side was clear to see. To such an extent that both Scott & Weimann were having to drop deep into our own half to pick the ball up in order to drive us forward. Where was Williams or Massengo? They were missing at this stage. Only 2 of the starting 11 where new, and one of those was a L1 player a few months ago, who was playing in a relatively new position (only played there a couple of times for Oxford). Who would have thought we would have seen Vyner again 6 months ago? It's a measure of where we are at the moment unfortunately. We are struggling I'm afraid. Still relatively little productivity from our wing backs; and 3.5 years of seeing JD drag his shots wide of the same post after being out through is getting tedious in the extreme.

Have the disabled sections been increased? Certainly there seem to be new areas at both ends of the Lansdown that would have taken out a number of rows of seating. Maybe our capacity is not 27k anymore?

I've heard a rumour that Clarke was approached by Charlton, a few days before the start of the season; and went and spoke to them without telling JB or the club. It does smack of a disciplinary or personality issue rather than a playing one.

Conspiracy theory there Dave ?

Wasn't he taken ill in the Exeter City game, and having to go off after 20 mins. Probably still not in the greatest shape.

I think the thing for me with PP @Davefevs is the restrictive nature of FFP, that means the clubs on PP have a massive advantage financially for 3 years after they are relegated. It can't be right, that Champ clubs are only allowed to lose £39m in three seasons, whereas over that time frame PP clubs are handed £90m. It just means the relegated clubs generally get to keep their squad intact, whilst cherry picking the rest of the championship clubs best players. Thus making the Championship one of the least competitive leagues as 2 out of 3 promotion places usually go to a PP club with the other 17 or so clubs fighting over the 1 place. Something has to give somewhere as at the moment it just feels like a real restriction of trade issue for non PP clubs for me. Would much rather allow larger FFP amounts (Possibly £60-70m allowed) over the 3 year period, allied to a reduction in the PP payments to that sort of figure.

It's refreshing that the local journalists now generally understand how to get the best out of NP. Rather than than the Gregor (aka Tim Messenger from Hot Fuzz) approach to goading him into losing his temper. I don't miss those first 6 months of excruciating interviews.

Indeed you would play him in the centre with probably Atkinson to his left, and or Klose or Vyner to his right surely? I don't think anybody would be saying to play him at RCB, or that Klose is a better option than him in the centre at present.

So you would play Vyner instead of Naismith??? Of course as you say all about opinions, but he was in the Championship team of the season last year at CB. You could make the argument for Vyner instead of Klose. But not sure of the Vyner instead if Naismith one unfortunately.

100% @Sir Geoff I used to play as a defender, and the higher level you got the more mental energy and focus it took. One slip, or absence of concentration can lead to a late equaliser or winner for the opposition (Still can't get over quite how bad we were at this last season). For me Vyner's name is out there now amoungest other managers as a player that can be targeted. He will be knows as a defender that can be pushed around, and dominated. Under the glare of the spotlight he tends to go into his shell, and then start to hide. If I never see one of his aimless diagonal balls from the right back area to the left wing area again it will be too soon.

Like others who have already posted, we all know that Vyner is a stop gap until we are able to replace him. The main issue for me, is that from a supporter's point if view, you just know that mistake/lapse of concentration is coming at some stage whenever he is involved. Watching him from the Dolman, it's generally with an impending sense of doom. Unfortunately over the years he has used up any goodwill of fans (unlike someone like Magnússon who also had a catastrophic mistake in him at times). So the first error he makes will be met with a huge groan, and a collective "FFS Vyner again" around the ground. Must be so difficult as a defender to play in those circumstances, and his body language normally paints a thousand words when it happens.

Saw him score against Clevedon on Sat. Looks a real prospect.

And Bakinson...

Exactly Graham. Plus I think they took down one of the family scaffolding stands to create more terracing. Basically legislation is making the Memorial ground more and more not fit for purpose as a football ground.

I've spoken to a few Gashead STs at work about this. The rules around terracing have changed, and you now need a sizeable gap between the pitch edge, and the terracing itself. This has caused Rovers to technically vacate the first 3-4 levels of terracing around the ground. Thus 3k of the 12k capacity has been forfeited. I'm not sure how long they have to stick to this, but it may not be a short term option; and they are looking to increase capacity in other areas of the ground to compensate.

I really don't think the football's around nowadays are in any way the same sort of threat to the balls I grew up with in the 70s, and 80s. They are a lot lighter, and giving when headed. I think generally better awareness of concussion, and head injuries is a much better treatment of any potential future syndrome. The game has also moved on, and there are far less head injuries nowadays compared to 20 years ago. We always need to be mindful (take Baker for example). But a ban altogether just breeds an irrational fear factor in young players that will take out a part of the game that we know and love.

Well at least you'll get a chance to see Bakinson play.?

Sorry, been away for a week Dave. Wasn't Semenyeo's injury a shin injury? Similar in some ways to JD's one.

was a thread on it about a month ago Reg i think EDIT: Found it

As someone someone who works on Feeder Road, and drives past this site a number of times every day; i can't believe that they would actually get planning permission for this. It's right next to the area of land that was going to be the Bristol Arena, and we all know how that panned out. There is literally a small bridge (Albert road) access from the A4 Bath Road. With no facility for parking at all of course. Then we get to the size of the development. Have they seen how small an area is devoted to the actual stadium. They would have to build a massive stand (e.g. Lansdown) to get anywhere near that capacity, it's just not that big enough a plot. In comparison Luton's in around the 20k Mark at Power Court, with Brentford's at 17.5k. I can't see anything larger than that. Next. The way it's going to be funded is on the basis of a massive house building exercise gifted to then by Rovers for the memorial stadium site. Well if they think we had Nimbys on the Ashton Vale site, wait until the local area object en masse to anything of that scale. All in all, massive hurdles to overcome, and it's all a bit weird. If you had the money (ie Wael). Why would you need someone to build a stadium for you, and then lease it from them? At the same time giving them your main asset for nothing? It's akin to paying off the mortgage on your house, then giving it to a developer for nothing; to then rent a larger house from them for the next 25 years????? You end up owning nothing.... Why not either build the stadium yourself, or develop the memorial site yourself; and then use the money to build a stadium that you own outright. It all doesn't make sense? It only makes sense if Wael/the club really haven't got anywhere near the finances that they claim to have, and desperately need someone else to fund/taken the risk around the whole project.

I love the stop, and stick your arse out to get the free kick move. Watched that all through last season, and now on the International stage. I guarantee he will be in the top 3 most fouled players in the tournament stats on that basis.

Scarlett has been exceptionally poor in this game. Jephson would have been a much better substitution later into the second half. If it goes to pens, Scarlett looks like one to miss.

Wife just about to give birth apparently, so not at the training camp.