sludge

Are there actually any professional sports where the men and women get paid the same? 
 

Tennis possibly? 

8 hours ago, Red-Robbo said:

Unlike against Preston, I didn't think the main problem today was that we couldn't physically compete - we had a lightweight attacking line at the start, granted, but we are missing Conway and Weimann. 

Preston were a big burly side. This lot weren't.  Their midfielder who scored the first goal looked like a mascot!

We simply didn't pass as well, link up as well,  organise as well, or show as much attacking intent as Birmingham.

What disappoints so much, is we know these players can - and have - played better. 

 

Fair points. However I still think that on the whole Birmingham looked stronger than us and that we will continue to struggle against teams with more physicality than us particularly at home. Be delighted to be wrong though. 

12 minutes ago, ashton_fan said:

That's 5 wins in the last 6 for Brum at AG, last season being the exception so we've been here before. PNE also have a very good record here so maybe we've just been unlucky to have those as the first two home games.  Perhaps we should wait and see how we do against some of the teams that traditionally struggle here before we rush to judgement.

Still boils my pee pee that we continue to look so lightweight against the more physical teams year in, year out. 
Surely to improve our league position we need to start picking up more points against these type of teams? Yet our recruitment continually fails to address this. 

2 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

The two feed into each other a bit though. We lack a bit of skill or spark in midfield with James-Williams-Knight which can hand some initiative to the opposition.

Then the front 3, I was surprised that and nothing against Cornick but surely Sykes-Wells-one of Bell or Mehmeti would have been a better balance.

Yeh fair point. As someone said on another thread a Dele Adebola type player might be useful though 

1 hour ago, Hot Air said:

That is actually very amusing - this and the Birmingham fans chanting 'is this a library' at your silent fans gave me a much-needed lift. Thank you. 

Bristol Rovers fan spends Saturday afternoon listening to city commentary rather than his own team? Weird. 

1 minute ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Couple of factors here. Physicality we may or may not lack.

However to hit the ball high and your forwards aren't exactly huge but to hit it high vs 3 b If centre backs is poor tactically and not only is it inefficient in an attacking sense, it is also risky as said side may hit you on the break when possession turned over.

I’m not talking about the long balls/tactics so much, but more that Birmingham were (yet again) able to impose their game onto us and stop us from playing our game.

3 minutes ago, 2015 said:

We were poor today, worse than what we we were against Preston. 

I think we as a fanbase need to stop being so reactionary, knee jerk and negative. I could feel it around the Ground before, during and after the game. Stark contrast to the away support at Millwall last week. 

However, today highlighted how we really need a Number 9 up front and that there is a real lack of physicality to our team. We lost various battles today, likewise against Preston first game and I even said numerous times last week at Millwall 'Powderpuff' - because that's what we have been playing like. Too nice.

We'll be ok, but it certainly has tempered pre season expectations and a big reality check has hit most of us.

Our lack of physicality has been an issue for sooooooo long now and we just never address it with our recruitment and I can’t get my head around it. 

19 minutes ago, mozo said:

Sorry, I was responding to your comment about Birmingham's creativity. I agree with you about them being stronger.

Fair point. I just felt that first half in particular they were on top without creating that much. 

4 minutes ago, mozo said:

Well, Hogan is hardly a frightening proposition. We managed to snuff out Dembele and Bacuna pretty well, but looked to struggle with Miyoshi from the moment he came on.

Hogan not a unit no, but they have more muscle than us as a team? 

1 hour ago, ChrisBW said:

3 shots on target in 3 games, 2 from long throws. Wells no goals in open play for 20 games. This is Pearsons side with his players and signings…..he goes on about how little money we have yet he made the signings of Cornick and Mehmeti - what is the solution? 

Were Birmingham particularly creative today? Just looked like the same old to me. They are stronger than us and took chances that came their way. 

Same problem for as long as I can remember- we get outmuscled time after time and never recruit any players with strength. Always lightweight 

2 hours ago, BS3_RED said:

Rumour on twitter that he has signed a one year contract with us.

Hope it’s true cuz at the moment we are weak as piss. 

Is it really a spending/FFP thing? Or is it just that we never recruit any muscle/physicality? We maybe fit, but we are so so lightweight against strong teams. Really frustrating. Our record against Birmingham is woeful and it’s always because they are stronger than us. 

If the worst should happen tonight and we get battered, I just hope as many fans as possible stay behind the team and stay in their seats until the final whistle.

I think the recent run of results and effort showed by players and staff deserves at least that.....

Isn't their manager the chap that used to be at Blackpool? I'm sure I read on this forum a few months ago that we should be going for a manager like him?!

6 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Playing Devil's Advocate if we reject a bid that would outright resolve FFP without any debate as to the method and we get a charge like Birmingham in 2019, is that a potential risk?

Do we know for sure that the League or are not expecting a sale as with Birmingham in 2019.

Overall I'd be surprised if we did end up in that position but Birmingham fans in 2019 were loudly dismissive of the concept when it first arose early February 2019. Would that be a price worth paying?

ok fair play, i’m assuming we don’t need to sell at mo to resolve FFP issues, but have no idea whether or not that is the case. 

If it is the case,  then yeh that’s a potential price changer. 

If we sell Semenyo this window for a ‘fair price’ and end up in League One next season, that ‘fair price’ will look like the worst piece of business we’ve done in a long time. 

1 hour ago, Bouncearoundtheground said:

Makes a huge difference! Let that be the proof… 

I haven’t heard all 3 sides singing together for yonks. 

stood in E34 today (that’s where my season ticket is) and it was fantastic. couldn’t tell whether rest of ground was joining in though, so good to hear that it was

35 minutes ago, Betty Swallocks said:

Comparing a night at the theatre to a game of football, Jesus Christ. 

Jesus Christ Superstar? 

3 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Yeah that's fair. 2017-18 we had the 10th best home record but beyond that...?

even 10th best home record doesn’t exactly scream fortress

1 minute ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

A good few months now. In mid October we won our 4th of 7 and was 4-1-2.

Since then however...yes a terrible run of results even though some performances weren't too bad.

i’m still scarred by, and taking into account, the abysmal home form that we endured during the latter part of LJ, all of Holden and the start of Pearson. 

If you treat the second half of last season as a blip (albeit a fairly long blip) the problems at home stretch back years…

9 minutes ago, BigTone said:

What's the upside? We all become aggressive then that rectifies the problem ? Come on, please !!

all depends on what type of aggression we’re talking about. not advocating anything physical, but sitting their meekly whilst we get the old read and write tractor song belted out by the away end isn’t currently that great. 

some football chants do have aggressive lyrics no? 

1 minute ago, BigTone said:

What's the upside?

we don’t know yet, but seems to me the potential improvement in results would outweigh the risks of results getting worse. that’s just me though, i think anything is worth a go to  try and improve our abysmal home form which stretches back many many months. 

no problem if you disagree though. 

1 minute ago, BigTone said:

I never said that. How does it improve our form though ?

it might not, but as long as it doesn’t make it any worse then there’s no downside? 

3 hours ago, BigTone said:

How does creating aggression towards opposition fans make it a tough place to play ? Might have the opposite effect.

Surely you don’t think it would make our home form any worse than it already is though?!