eardun

Just watched the highlights. Imagine being a Swindon fan watching that - going 7-0 down to a non-league side - at home? First non-league team to score 7 v a league team in the FA Cup.

I was there too - it was ridiculous. Brief video here: https://youtu.be/yhg0ddKh5NQ?feature=shared

Spurs imploding.

No problem - he’s got 31 games!

Could just be that we are going about it the proper way, i.e. trying to agree a compensation figure with Oxford. Conversations with Manning would only come after that is agreed and they give their blessing for us to talk to him.

Must admit I knew nothing of Manning until I read his bio earlier. Having read that, as you say, he does sound like the type of person that would fit the bill for the owners based on what they have indicated they are looking for. So I wouldn’t be surprised if Manning was appointed.

Used the forward ticket functionality for the first time today - transferred my wife’s ticket to my daughter - it was easy to do and it worked perfectly which was reassuring.

I think Nige’s issue with Bentley was more that he didn’t command his box effectively - which to be fair Max does pretty well.

Especially as Wilshire played for Bournemouth- twice!

I like him too. Playing a big role already - a lot was going through him today and of course he takes the dead balls too. Did well to get him and he will only get better.

Or more sense if they wanted to act before Nige started to win again

I haven’t ruled out him coming back in some capacity at some point under new owners. He went back to Leicester of course.

Mine updated very soon after the match. Turn auto updates off and on again and that will sort it though.

Having seen the various interviews this week, they obviously think someone can coach this squad to the premier league. Nige is more of a manager/leader - ‘observational’ as he put it himself - than a hands on coach. Hence - in their mind - the reason for the change. No doubt they think that a new coach might do better at unlocking stubborn defences at Ashton Gate etc. I remain to be convinced. I think they underestimate the value of the managerial and leadership skills that Nige brought to the club - what he built won’t just hang around in the air following his departure indefinitely. How easy will it be to attract a coach who is supposedly so much better than the coaches (and I include Rennie in that) who are or were already in the building? Is one new head coach really going to transform this squad? Time will tell of course but, as I say, I remain to be convinced.

Agree entirely. Love his enthusiasm and it is infectious - he’s made me look forward to Saturday far more than I was before his interview. Agree, shame about the gap in content.

I can see it happening too although not because of new owners; I could see the current owners thinking that a big name would placate a lot of fans. Not how you should choose a manager/coach of course.

Saw this on twitter too re Eustace by Mike Holden - interesting The situation at Birmingham. John Eustace and Wayne Rooney are polar opposite personality types. Completely different functions, different attitudes, different temperaments. They could hardly be more different. • Eustace values control (work to a plan) • Rooney values chaos (be ready for anything) • Eustace is tribe above self (shared collective cause) • Rooney is self above tribe (motivation comes from within) • Eustace works to logical criteria (tactics and strategy) • Rooney works to emotional criteria (desire and motivation) The above variables all have their own merits. They each bring varying rewards in different contexts and scenarios, over different timescales. The players don't know any of this. They haven’t got a clue what's going on. They just know its different, and it has spooked them. Big time. The players were content with the blueprint they were working to. They were invested in Eustace. Then Garry Cook does what Garry Cook does and imprints his ruthless ambition on proceedings. He doesn’t want content now, he wants success later. Big success. Bigger success than most of those players are capable of achieving. So now those players are wrestling with the realisation that this might no longer be a journey with a final destination for them. They might be surplus to requirements sooner rather than later. One minute, you're in a controlled environment and everything is settled, everyone knows where they stand and all the messages are predictable. The next minute, it's all change and the messages are different. It's unsettling. And it's bound to affect performance. This is no longer the season those players thought it was going to be. No longer the future those players thought they were going to have. Back to square one. All that conditioning in the summer? All the stuff they thought their efforts and performances were going to be judged on? It's just been ripped up and thrown out of the window. Start again. New guy, new methods. The players have gone into survival mode. For them, this is a crisis situation. Nobody knows where they stand. That collective cause that Eustace fostered? Now it’s every man for himself. When you're in survival mode, you can't be creative. You can only be creative and fully express the best version of yourself when you feel safe. And to feel safe in this context, you have to have strong convictions about yourself and your abilities. The ones who do have a long-term future at St Andrew’s will be the ones who react best to this change and step up quickest. If you can quickly adapt to this sudden threat to your livelihood, then you might just have what it takes to survive in the Premier League as well.

Funny as I just said in the Tinnion thread that our own interviews seemed to be spoofs!

We need a Jude - patron saint of lost causes.

Was this the statement you were referring to @Jerseybean https://www.bcfc.com/news/all/club-statement-john-eustace I was trying to get my head around what they could have meant by this - are they suggesting that Eustace did not have a winning mentality and lacked ambition? Almost libellous for a football manager you would think. It is essential that the Board of Directors and the football management are fully aligned on the importance of implementing a winning mentality and a culture of ambition across the entire Football Club. With this in mind, Birmingham City has today parted company with Head Coach, John Eustace.

Nige must have been kicking them at half time. I’ve watched both interviews again now, and the more I watch them, I think they are spoof interviews - a bit like candid camera or game for a laugh. In the next interview, Jon and Brian announce that ‘after an extensive worldwide search, and considering the required qualities that we described in our previous interviews, we’re pleased to report that we’ve found the perfect candidate. We’ve signed Nigel Pearson on a three year contract.’

Drink!

Another one who was doing a good job - shocking decision.

What could possibly go wrong on Saturday?!

To be honest I think I probably prefer that to the previous six week worldwide search before finding someone already in the building. If you decide to sack someone, you should be ready to act.