Mendip City

Good player. Apparently played 350+ consecutive games for ‘boro. RIP

Good pod again guys - thanks 

I was there…. A ball boy in front of the Dolman. 
That team, those seasons are still the best I’ve known as a City fan. 
Which reminds me, as ever…. Where is the Terry Cooper permanent memorial/tribute that the club promised? 
At Wigan there’s a statue of Dave Whelan holding the FA Cup. I’d argue a tearful Terry Cooper holding the trophy is as important a moment in our club’s history. 

3 minutes ago, petehinton said:

Friend of mine is physio at wasps, said they’re having to spend £100k+ on the pitch it was that bad. Almost certain they’ll be in administration sooner rather than later too, as being reported by news 

You’d think it could be completely re-laid by now….. presumably Wasps are so skint they can’t do it. 
Hopefully Cov are working behind the scenes to get it sorted AND buy back all or a part share of the stadium. Unless they’re waiting for Wasps to go bust and get the stadium back on the cheap. 

I thought it was a good listen. Thank you. 
I regularly listen and enjoy it.
I don’t agree with everything (surely that’s normal?). 
The post-Luton pod was positive and upbeat… so was I as I left the ground. 
Sometimes it’s negative and downbeat, often even… but then, often I’m negative and downbeat on leaving the ground… again that’s normal isn’t it? 
Keep up the good work @headhunter

37 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Idehen will be on very low money, I doubt him going out on loan would make a difference either way re Bamba joining.

Well we (none of us know) how much DI and RT earn or what Bamba would want. 
 

What we do know is NP must raise some funds before bringing players. All I’m saying is this would be the sort of thing he has to do before we see incoming players. 

Would also add more sense/logic to Bamba possible coming in. Also perhaps one or both go to fund Bamba’s wages. 

13 hours ago, Davefevs said:

 

back to Pearson:

How many people said Klose should play CB3 and Naismith LCB3 over the past few games…yet yesterday that’s exactly what happened, and we went from 1-0 up to drawing 1-1.  Correlation rather than causation, maybe….but we are a hypocritical bunch because we use correlation rather than causation to justify our negativity, that’s if we even bother to justify it.

No hands up, I was wrong from OTIB is there?

I’ve not double checked it but haven’t we quickly conceded a goal as soon as Klose has entered the field this season? I’m not sure what’s gone on there as he looked nice and reliable last year. Maybe he’s gone a year too far?

I'm conflicted by this whole thread. I’m no great fan of NP, I thought he’d be great, I’ve been underwhelmed. My view is also clouded by his attitude in press conferences, lack of humility oh and his inability to make changes to formation/substitutions (a Leicester supporting friend suggested substitutions were a problem). 
His job is, as with all managers, to manage the first XI to get results whilst having an eye on the future of the club. For NP the bigger part of his role is the future piece, having to deal with FFP and all the other squad issues he’s in inherited.  I am increasingly concerned that it’s become the whole reason for problems on the pitch rather than part of the problem. I guess I mean, poor substitutions and the like are nothing to do with the fact the club is in a financial mess and SL is still talking about selling up… with no sign it’ll happen - years after he first suggested it.  
 

Anyway, I said I was conflicted by this thread and despite all I’ve said above…. I agree wholeheartedly with your original post @Davefevs .  It’s a point, nowhere near as bad a performance as some are making out (I was there). Conway gave us something of what we miss without Semenyo. Sykes looks decent enough. Vyner is fine and has been all season (still should play in midfield!). Weimann was great again. Worryingly we have a central  midfield problem (still). 
Overall an ok performance, some positives, we’re 2 games unbeaten and off the mark. 
It’ll be panic stations if we lose the next two… but let’s see whether that happens or not. 

2 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Someone told me he is spending more time “office based” and if that is adding “pro knowledge” into the recruitment department that is good news imho.  He has definitely been active in forging links with French Ligue 1 clubs.

Hopefully he’s looking for a new version of himself!!! What a find that would be right now!

39 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

Doesn't mean they like it and they get regular breaks for hydration.

Prem have announced drink breaks…. No doubt EFL will follow. 
 

I wasn’t at the game but any reason not to stick with a winning line up? 
I’m not sure whether those left out are significantly better than today’s line up. What this line up will have is a bit of confidence - worth its weight in gold right now I’d reckon. 

19 minutes ago, nickolas said:

Problem is, Pring’s ‘clanger’ was almost 90 yards from our goal at Preston. Hardly a clanger as we had the whole pitch to defend when he lost it. 
Naismith trying to take on the striker 25 yards from goal when ive seen milk turn faster than him was way worse, yet hes a Pearson signing so will be nothing heard about it!

Pring is a very decent left sided player for us. He does seem to struggle near the ends of games but you get the benefit of him for 70 mins or a substitute cameo for 30. 
I think Nige holds a grudge too easily imo. 

He does seem to hold a grudge, that and putting people on the naughty step, the tough love approach all seems increasingly outdated now.  
 

1 hour ago, GrahamC said:

I told you what they were.

Are you suggesting we ditch Naismith then?

Not sure I understand. I’m expanding on what you said. It seems Pring hasn’t been trusted since dropping a clanger. Naismith dropped an equal clanger (and is way more experienced). Im saying neither should be dropped for a big mistake, as all players make them. Problem is that Pring, who seemed pretty steady, has really had to pay the penalty for his mistake… I’m saying it seems not all players are treated equally. 

6 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Yep, Swansea away not long after that he failed to notice his man at the back stick who tapped it in for a goal.

I don’t remember many clangers from Pring and that was no worse a mistake than Naismith on Saturday but I doubt he’ll land on the discard pile!! 
There does seem a lot of “face fits” with NP and I’m not sure the tough love approach really works with modern players. 

2 hours ago, pongo88 said:

I may be reading this incorrectly, but the charts with blue, grey and red squares show that City control more of the pitch than Sunderland. If I have read it correctly, it seems to indicate that raw data doesn’t always tell the true picture as City has lost both matches so far and Sunderland have won both. Hull away may have been a bit unlucky but Sunderland deserved the win on Saturday 

I guess only eyes can tell whether the possession is useful or not? We certainly controlled/we well on top of parts of both games but did little with it. Both Hull and Sunderland had spells in command and punished us. 
 

from those pass charts it’s  interesting (if I’m reading correctly) how many forward passes from Naismith and Vyner. Atkinson seems to often go square or backwards. 
Also Sykes  passes seem to be short and backwards in forward positions. If we’re playing wingbacks high up the field they need to getting the ball into dangerous areas…. But that needs their colleagues to also be in those dangerous areas to receive the ball. 
 

Two games, two defeats and a lack presence/physicality and character is the “eye data” I’d take away from the games so far. 
it’s got a bit of a SOD feel to me. All the talk about off field and reorganisation and changing and somewhere down the line it will improve, whilst the first XI aren’t producing the goods. Trouble is back then we would afford relegation without ruining the club… not sure that’s the case now. 

It should have happened by now. 
For me, ideally, it still would happen. 
Sadly, I don’t think it will, certainly not while Lansdowns is in charge. 

4 hours ago, Lrrr said:

Could very much just be a case of players having an off day and not hitting standards expected of them. Sloppy passing/finishing, too many mis controlled balls etc. 

Sounds more like a match day than training! 

52 minutes ago, RedM said:

I'm treating Hull's winner as a freak goal, and hoping lightning won't strike twice. But you certainly aren't wrong about the difference in halves on Saturday against them. For large periods of the first half it seemed only a matter of time before we scored again. What got me was for all the control of the game we had, we just couldn't kill it off. That worries me more than conceding a dodgy penalty or a freak goal. 

Obviously it is only one game in. But Sunderland with a large following, possibly the largest we will see at AG this season, will be confident and a stiff test. We need to find that bit of toughness, both mentally and physically that we had been lacking at times last season, resulting in the late goals. I do think we have players now that can deliver this, Naismith for example, but have they formed enough of an understanding yet.

Early days and one game doesn't make or break our season.

Agree with all of that - one more goal while we were on top and it’s a different story on Saturday. We do seem to have to work very hard for goals, even when we’re on top. 
I’m always wary of us in front of a big crowd but hopefully the likes of Naismith will help keep us organised and make us a tougher opponent. 
Hull and Sunderland wouldn’t have been my choice as first games!  Right now I’d settle for a point - it’s important to get off the mark. 

56 minutes ago, rednotblue said:

TBH the late goal at Hull bugs me more as it was another injury time goal conceeded. I know it had a massive deflection (no one marking the player though). It needs to stop though as the longer it goes on the more it gets ingrained in our players and the opposition.

The other thing that’s consistent from last season is our inability to perform at a level for the majority of 90mins.
However unlucky both goals were, the truth is we were really good for most of the first half then pretty poor for the second. 
Hopefully Semenyo stays and will be back sooner than expected. I think he’s massive for us and gives us that bit of spark, presence  and genuine threat. 

On 30/07/2022 at 16:09, Port Said Red said:

Taylor on the bench for Cheltenham

That was a Caleb Taylor on loan from WBA not our James Taylor who didn’t seem to be in the squad. 

1 hour ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Wells more useful than Kalas? Blimey.

If everyone's fit, Bristol City get 46 games out of Kalas while Wells sits on the bench watching Semenyo, Martin and Weimann do their thing.  

 

I said more useful “right now”. We don’t have semenyo fit for for Wells to watch, do we? So he’s useful… right now. 

Again, no need to be rude and (again) it’s all about opinions. 

1 hour ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Wells more useful than Kalas? Blimey.

If everyone's fit, Bristol City get 46 games out of Kalas while Wells sits on the bench watching Semenyo, Martin and Weimann do their thing.  

Results did improve but I struggle to put that down to Kalas being absent.

More likely to my mind, it was due to finally settling on a 3-at-the-back formation, fitness allowing the manager to pick a settled starting XI, the emergence of Semenyo, the arrival of Klose. 

Imo, results improved even though Kalas was absent, not because he was absent.  It was a co-incidence, not the cause. The cause was the reasons above.

Put it another way - if you think our results picked up because Robbie Cundy was playing instead of Tomas Kalas, you might what to check outside your front door because the men in white coats have arrived to cart you off to Barrow Gurney. And it ain't for to see your brother Ernie.    

I do agree though on the leadership/organisation point - a Kalas weakness (he's the strong silent type) but a strength of Klose and Naismith (vocal types it would appear). It's a vital component of any successful team but even more so in one that's blooding wet behind the ears youngsters who will only benefit from older heads guiding them through games - last season we had Pring, Tanner, Atkinson, Scott, Benarous, Bell all making ther debuts. Semenyo is hardly a veteran and Vyner always needs someone in his ear.

As far as Kalas is concerned, we just need to negotiate a new contract that we can afford.     

The white coat thing was downright rude - I’d said it’s all about opinions. 
You insult me then agree with me that having a leader and the average Cundy (who I’d not mentioned) saw us better than Kalas and A N Other. Bottom line we can live without him. Just as we can any of our players in truth… especially those on big money. 
Anyway he’s inured and likelihood is we’ll be paying him a lot to do very little for a while yet. He’ll s as most certainly see out his contract here then go for nothing. 

1 minute ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Why Kalas and not Wells?

If Kalas left we'd need to sign 2 central defenders (we're already looking for one, to replace Vyner).

If Wells left we'd not have to sign anyone.

Imo Conway can do what Wells will probably do this season - make cameo appearances from the bench, the odd start, score a handful of goals. And Conway will do that for about one fifth of the price, ie a massive wage saving. 

Ideally both would go to get to a new wage structure.
Personally I think Wells is more useful but it’s all about opinions.
There are occasional rumours about Wells leaving.  Nothing about Kalas which makes me think he’s earning a fortune, a salary way better than his value these days and/or he is adamant he’ll see out his deal (as I said above). 
Kalas is undoubtedly a good defender but results improved without him. We needed leadership and organisation back there more than technical ability. I think Klose is more useful to Bristol City right now and hopefully Naismith will add even more leadership and organisation. 
 

36 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I believe we are in a situation where we can avoid selling. That’s why we’ve taken the free transfer approach and offloaded O’Dowda and Palmer. When a few contracts are negotiated or potentially moved on because they won’t sign, then everything is sorted. 

That’s probably how it will play out but we’re vulnerable to any decent offer especially while a couple of big earners remain. IMO we could really do with getting Kalas off the wage bill. The fact there never seems any interest in him makes me wonder just how much we are paying him! Or he’s just determined to see out his deal…. 
anyway it’s all academic as both Senenyo  and Kalas are injured, so highly unlikely to be going anywhere this side of January! 

26 minutes ago, Red Army 75 said:

Totally get that MC and agree. But going from what our Nige said. We have our own aspirations and don’t want to lose our best players. He said it will take a lot of money to get him and wouldn’t stand in his way if a premiership club come calling. If AS is in his last year of his contract I could see us selling to a championship side. 
 

Of course it isn’t down to Nige and we are not doing well financially, but IMO in more ways than one if we sold him to Middlesbrough it would speak volumes about us

Completely get all of that and I hope that’s how things pan out. Nige has to say that but I’d be a little concerned that the club may have planned to cash in on at least one of our assets (I really hope not) this summer… to nudge the accounts back into a bette state. 

Your final point is spot on, it would say everything about where we are should AS be sold to a Champ club and maybe about how willing Boro would be to gamble on promotion.  
 

Bottom line - I don’t reckon it’s likely and don’t want it to happen!