downendcity

In management some people respond best to an "arm round the shoulder", while others do best with more of a a "kick up the backside" approach. It must be similar with players. Some will doubtless do best remaining at the club and working through things in order to fight for a first team place. Others will benefit from exposure to more regular first team football, that they would not necessarily be able to secure staying here. This must be especially so for very young players. A spell on loan at Newport didn't do Semenyo's development much harm, similarly Pring at Pompey. I am pretty sure that Manning would be looking to utilize a 17 year old Alex Scott in his plans. Yeboah, however, is no Alex Scott ( not yet anyway!), who was capable beyond his years, and with the changes LM is looking to make, perhaps Manning sees his inexperience as too great a risk while the rest of the team are adapting to changes in playing style.

If we were, we'd need a car park with a 40,000 capacity.

He's let her down many times since.

It's not just the profit on player sales though. We have regularly featured 4/5/6 of our academy players in the first team.

Nearly as bad as when " get in the hole" is shouted just as a tour pro hits his tee shot on a 600 yard par 5!

Chopper Harris wouldn't have made it past the warm these days!

Andy, with 11 months still to go, I think you are suffering from premature speculation!

I posted this video clip on another thread recently, discussing what constitutes dangerous play ( Calvert-Lewin's red card v Palace). What this also shows is the difference in players' mentality between the 60s/70s and today. Despite the almost brutal physicality on display in the Chelsea vLeeds match, what is noticeable is that the player that had been tackled ( assaulted would be a more apt description in most cases!) was pretty well straight up on their feet, although this was often to give some back to the opponent. Compare that to today, when even the most innocuous challenges ( and saying challenge is often stretching a point!) results in the player collapsing in a heap, clutching ankle/knee/face in order to force the referee to stop the game and award a free kick. As we all know, this particularly prevalent in and around the penalty area when the attacking team concedes possession and one of their players is "injured' in just such a way, conveniently forcing play to be halted, which then prevents the opponents creating a quick breakaway. I remember seeing one game where exactly this happened, and the attacking player was writhing around in agony, but miraculously made a full recovery when his team regained possession and was back on the attack! Rulemakers increasing inclination to make prescriptive laws/rules hasn't helped. The direction that referees should stop a game for head injuries has seen players go down in the box clutching their heads as though they've had a lobotomy - this is especially noticeable with ariel challenges - knowing that the referee is forced to stop the game and thereby halt the opponents momentum. I honestly believe that referees are naive in this respect, and that this could well be because they've not played the game at any decent level so don't know and understand how players think.

Oh no it isn't!

Liverpool could be the first club to make their car park all ticket for locked out away fans.

So, even Liverpool think that there's only One Team In Bristol!

I'm sure Wells can knock one up using his workmate, a few woodworking tools and some decent timber.

Running with one of those will make you look like you're off the pace!

Homes Under the Hammer.

This month is the 30th anniversary of that night at Anfield. Just saying!

He's still jogging back for the restart.

Back when I played in the Bristol District League we played Bristol Deaf, who were a very "physical" team. Before the game the ref explained that because many/most of the opposition had impaired hearing, he would wave a white handkerchief ,as well as blowing his whistle, to stop the game. During the game, a long ball put me through past the defence, but as I ran in on goal I heard the ref blow up for offside so slowed up. I was then hit for six from behind by their defender, who had been trying to chase me down. I was in a heap on the ground as the ref came over to admonish the defender, who then signed to one of his teammates, who then explained to the ref that as the defender was running away from the ref he didn't see him wave the handkerchief so didn't know that game had been stopped!

VAR had to use old technology to measure it!

Unusual substitution, as Cornick has only just come on. Is Rooting one of the academy lads?

I remember their last game if the season 20+(?) Years ago Vs Wimbledon I think it was. Needing a win to escape they were 2 down and out, but "miraculously" recovered to win. Always thought that game was fishy. They seem to live a charmed life

The other half are locked out if Rovers' games!

Not according to Robbored's maths!