TDarwall

It is pretty clear they fell out with Nige. I really like Nige but it's not uncommon for him to fall out with his employer. Lansdown struggles with "spikey" types. It was an accident waiting to happen really (but we're fortunate Nige got us in much better shape before it did).

I don't disagree in principle but I'm not sure Manning explaining to the fans that getting trounced by Cardiff was ok as it gives him a clearer idea of what we need for next season is going to play out very well. Hopefully we can have a half decent run of results, & then he can experiment for a few games if he chooses but in a less febrile atmosphere.

Now I think of it, you might have point.

One of the 1st bands I saw live. Gotta love Davey & the boys.

But for many people it's an ongoing process & not black or white. If we finish the season terribly the majority will want him gone. If we then win the 1st 5 games of next season, many will want him tied to a longer contract. But if we then lost 5 on the spin he'll be "streaky Liam". When results aren't great it's hard to imagine things turning round. In Jordan's 1st full season he got us to the semi final of the cup, but we were rubbish in the league (it improved at the end when we bought Super Bob). I defy anyone thay watched us a lot that season to honestly say that it felt like we were on the cusp of something great... cos it really didn't & if you take the line "the cup doesn't count" Jordan could have been sacked as he'd taken us backwards (we got in the PO's with a late charge the season before). I doubt if anyone is really convinced by Manning at this juncture but for me we are still at the wait & see stage.

Fear not, it will soon get lost in a sea of hyperbole & bias.

If it makes you feel any better I was convinced Coppell would lead us to promotion. The serious point is, after the Coppell debacle I tried to avoid any pre conceptions about future managers. Nothing is guaranteed, sometimes a sensible appointment fails & then a strange one works.

No one is suggesting Maidstone are better than Ipswich. You said Piercey wasn't being impartial- there is zero evidence of that. He is just saying something you don't agree with, however it's a perfectly valid view that people are entitled to agree or disagree with.

No it doesn't, it just shows he doesn't agree with your view. Some allow the cup games, some don't, there is no right / wrong answer. No reason at all for Piercey to be impartial, he's a good journo, not afraid to ask tough questions.

We are no more getting relegated now than we were getting in the POs before QPR. There's too big a points buffer & far too many teams that have been average to poor all season would need to hit stellar form whilst we capitulate.

Pearson was doomed from the start really. As with Cotterill he's not Steve's cup of tea so it was only ever a matter of time. Sometimes I think SL can't cope with confrontational characters or it might be he's more comfortable dealing with corporate types that he's built his successful career out of. As many have said, he should have got in the best people he could afford to run the club & got out of their way.

It was oft said that LJ preferred working with younger players as they were more malleable & less likely to question him. I think you can apply that to the next level too, the "board" prefer someone grateful for the opportunity at this level who is less likely to rock the boat.

It is odd that post Cardiff, he's never really been given that role again.

I actually feel a bit sorry for Mehmeti. Came here with a really good reputation & it (so far) hasn't worked out. Hopefully he's not Smozdic v2. Personally I don't think he's been as bad (overall) as some make out, but clearly he has been underwhelming. Thing is, look at the team yesterday, you basically have a keeper, 9 strong runners & Mehmeti. Other than him, who is going to beat someone & create something (feel free to insert your own punchline that he doesn't do that either). We're incredibly predictable to play against so I can understand persisting with him because at least there is the chance he may do something different (think he may have had our only shots on target v Leeds & QPR. How's this for a sliding doors moment - I think Anis & Harry C made their debuts in the same game, Cornick is thru wide right, if he squares it to Anis, HC gets an assist om debut, Anis gets a goal, the fans are happy & both players get a lift. Obvs what happened was Harry went for goal & it was a routine save.

I think the last 4 demonstrate that it's hard to predict.

That's the danger of looking at 1 game in isolation. Yes we played well that night but Saints were at the start of a slump.. almost lost to Hudds the Sat before & have been in poor form since. Sometimes in the immediate aftermath you don't know which team the result says most about.

Been going the Gate since the early 80's. In all that time a very small no. Of opposition players have got standing ovations when subbed off. JET did, he destroyed us for Donny that day.

If I hear that Kidderminster have a penalty, I'll jump in the car. By the time I get to the ground JET will be about half way through his "run" up.

And Stones ..... Blue Aeroplanes.

Not ITK but reliably told that Nige wanted them discounted, but Manning wants 50% price hike but more cheap kids seats in South Stand.

When Manning was appointed I joked that if it goes wrong we'll flip again & appoint a gnarly seasoned old manager (which as you say is usually more successful!). I think what is clear post Cotts & NP is that the Lansdowns don't want to work with a bombastic type, so to an extent NP (who has a history of falling out with people) was doomed from the beginning.

I always think recruitment is "relatively" easy for us in LG1 - we're a big draw at that level. That's not to diminish what the likes of Jordan or Cotterill achieved but at Championship level there's far more attractive options than us.

Re entertainment value, I think it boils down to the 2 golden rules of football: 1) the result is everything 2) never forget rule #1 As City fans, we claim to be purists but we'd soon take to a long ball merchant * if they got us promotion. * not Warnock, that's a step too far.

I think that's fine Nogs, there are numerous ways to "consume" Bristol City, none of them are more or less valid than any of the others imo. The bit I really agree with in the article is I thunk people have over stated the change in styles between the ex & current manager. On the whole, I'm not coming away more / less entertained or happy than I was previously. It was pretty middling, it remains so & expect it will be for the near future.