cityexile

I can stay, praise be the Lord!

Sometimes the result is everything, and by Christ we needed that. First half was really poor. First goal was everything, and thank heavens it was us. Lucky to keep a clean sheet really, but hey ho, an away win, and at QPR. Hopefully we get some confidence from that. Gives a bit of breathing space, a defeat and it could have been toxic. Kelly better than our multi million players. Scary.

Right. I hope for us to close the game down nice and easy, with no panics. I expect...us just to be 'City'.

Don't deserve to be ahead really, but we are, and it is a match where the result will be everything. Lets hope we can hold the lead after the break longer than against Forest. Both teams look shot of confidence, hopefully the goal settles us and we push on. It's City however so not holding my breath.

COYRs. Fingers crossed!

So, will it today be... A. We win, followed by posts about how everyone has overreacted, give it all time to get players back, it will all be ok and frankly, play offs are pretty much guaranteed. B Draw, followed by posts about how we are rubbish and will never ever win away again. C Lose, and if you do not accept we are certainly relegated after four games you are a happy clapper who is most likely LJs love child. To be honest, if it is C, think I will stay away for a few days.

I know injuries and all that, but slightly worrying we have spend gazillions, and have a £150k striker starting and'one for the future' on the bench. Talking of which, not many match changers on the bench is there.

Gave it more of a go second half, maybe unlucky not to score, but equally they could have had more. Let them get ahead and they will always then be happy with us playing in front of them. If we continue to be toothless, and give away poor goals, we will go down. Kelly and Peck our best players for me.

In what world is Taylor the logical replacement for Smith?

O dear. Boro have not really had to do too much, and look like they have hardly had to move through the gears very much. Yes, it is a makeshift defence, but that to one side, we are so considered going forward it all ends up pointless. Equally, so many games in this league are so tight that tactics, players, nothing matters unless you can defend. It really is as simple as that. For the third league game in a row we have given poor goals away, against a side that will make it very difficult. No high press, no real idea what to do. Don’t want to read to much in to one half of course, but on its own it is relegation form.

Meh. Sounds like on the balance of the match we really should really have won that, pretty comfortably in truth. Need to be able to defend however, and from 2-0 down it has to go down as a good point. Not sure we will play many poorer sides this year, they sounded really niggly, but in a league as tight as this you have to be able t9 keep clean sheets in matches like this. It is what it is. We still look very much work in progress.

Losing to a poor side really. Not looking like we will create much, and not looking anywhere near keeping a clean sheet. Could be a long old season.

And another one... 15:30 Alex Jakubiak [Watford - Bristol Rovers] Loan

BBC Radio Shropshire report that Shrewsbury Town striker Stefan Payne has signed for Bristol Rovers for an undisclosed fee. No idea if he is any good.

Also in fairness we do have some key suspensions/injuries/niggles, along with some pretty late signings. Some great interplay between their midfielders that was easy on the eye, but often did not go anywhere. Bit of a nothing second half from us, but dug in for a point. To many players ok for 60-70 minutes but having a bad patch. Will happily take mid table end of October.

I thought in fairness when we were under pressure we kept our shape as well as we have done for a while...apart from their goal of course. Paterson on the day the worst player out there. Elliason and CoD, good first half, particularly Elliason. Pack doing what he needed to quietly, and the new goalie looked solid enough. Very much work in progress it seemed. Forest deserved the win a little more than us, but equally could have gone in a couple up. It is what it is. A game in the first half of last season we would have won, and in the second most likely have lost. Had to dig in a bit for the point.

Forest looked the better side in the second half to me. Both looked in fairness like sides that were getting to know each other a bit, and both actually looked happy enough with the draw in the last ten. Disappointed with the goal we gave away where in just seemed we kept backing off. Not a bad game, some work to do for sure.

Feel like we are very much second best at the moment. Needs a change really, before we are behind.

1-1. Crap start to the half

Thought we started very brightly and were on top first half of the half. For me, since then Forest maybe just edging it. Nice enough game, by no means in the bag yet, but better one up than level.

If Carling did 'first five minutes of the season...'

Haha. Get in. Second in league...although might be fair to say, fair bit of the season left...

A bright new season. For what we are about to receive...

Two EFL games down, two injury time winners. Think on balance would take a well played draw today. Lots of changes from when we last lined up and all feels a bit experimental.

Puzzled by the shape of that team, particularly when defending, but LJ has seen them in pre season and knows who is already at it. Time will tell I guess.