Fuber

Wasn't any issue before Manning with this group.

Fact of the matter is - with the players we have available, Manning's style of play and lack of plan B doesn't make sense for this squad. More the fact I do not believe a few players leaving and coming in are going to fix everything. His style of play only works when your players are (tehcnically) better than the oppositions - similar to So'ton - a style which it should be noted can be very easily found out at this level as long as you have a fit and fast team capable of closing them out of a game. We lack the creativity needed across the pitch to make such a thing work, so we should be focusing on the margins. Being able to mix it up, channels, transition, set pieces. All of the above are what NP was trying to implement, sure it wasn't pretty - he was cucked with the sale of Scott without adequate replacements or reinvestment into the midfield, and an (impact) injury crisis that culminated in a loss at Cardiff where Cornick was up front, a green Joseph James at right-back for his debut, and Sykes at left-back. The hierarchy who had cause. said circumstances then sacked him. Luton showed the blueprint, you don't need creativity as long as the opposition makes mistakes and you can take advantage. Sadly the only part the leadership seem to have realised is you can do it on the cheap - which isn't what they should have taken away from it.

Plymouth, Swansea, Hull (a), Millwall. More, in the league, than under Manning.

Oh 100% agree. Would just have rather they would have gotten another coach in to adjust to NPs system rather than chuck out the book as it were. We're mindnumbing under Manning at times.

They key thing is the bit in bold for me. The safer option for him was to add to the style we already had then integrate his style once he has a preseason. His approach is incredible inflexible for what essential doesn't suite the players we have - and that's down to him and his inexperience as a manager - which was always a possibility.

I've seen some awful takes this year, this may take the bakery, never mind the cake. Some of the anti NP fiction is surreal. No 'suggestion' about being undermined. They had to use the excuse of an injury crisis to sack him ffs.

GJ Ill give you. But equally we're talking about a decision almost twenty years, so not sure how relevant it is to now. Nige is irrelevant as metric in that argument seeming as all the good work has been reverted due to a lack of trust in his own appointment.

Think it's been covered before - but he's never made the right calls, infrastructure (eventually) aside. All of his footballing involvement and decisions have been poor. The main exception were the decisions taken by Dawe who oversaw 2013-2018.

Leicester thought the same. So who knows. But I don't think it's a close and shut case.

If I was JL I'd sack Tinnion, get a proper CEO in - and get Horseman back into the club under Tinns former role ASAP. Then make the overtures to get NP back. Olive branch etc. If that fails - make him a consultant on all footballing decisions off the book going forward.

He doesn't if the run is bad enough. Pearson got a pass due to the diabolical hand he was played with regards to squad culture, Manning inherited the precise opposite.

Sounds about right.

For me it's more the performances, despite the win we clung on against Boro and we're utter carp against Millwall, QPR, Wednesday. One unexpected win against Southampton makes it worse, to be honest, as it shows that the players can play well. Which means it's down to setup, tactics, and selection - all down to the Manager.

Think the last of any goodwill left the building with Pearson, Rennie, and Euell for me.

All of the management and leadership preferably.

Don't think I've been more apathetic about a result this season. Just has a certain inevitability about it all. Its incredibly grating.

That's us losing then. Never seen us play better against ten versus eleven.

That's my point.

Tell that to the ownership who specifically implied and insinuated Pearson wasn't on the training pitch enough. Meanwhile Manning now isn't getting the time he wants due to fixture congestion.

Think thats what? - Sykes, Atkinson (two recurrances), and Bell with pretty serious Hamstring injuries since Rennie left in the last 6 weeks. Compared to two over 5 months inluding preseason for Ayman (rehab) and Conway (end of pre-season?)... King was an ankle(?) recurrance iirc. Zak was a ligment strain. Tanner impact injury at Stoke, with Sykes lacerating his foot the same game (https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-city-injury-rotherham-united-8797849) Almost as if a certain former head of medical and ex-manager mostly had to content with an unfortunate number of impact injuries but had the right idea reducing grass time over the international break to avoid over-stressing player fitness in a congested schedule. I'm getting irritable again, so I'm going to stop there.

Depends - he steadied them at this level in the first instance and sounds as if the players confidence is at an all time low - at least with Harris they know what to expect.

I won't speak for WSM. But HH invited me on a while back and the timing due to my work schedule was completely unfeasible. Otherwise I would've absolutely loved shutting down some of Ian's made up references and anecdotes.

No issue with others nor myself being 'knocked' if and when blatantly being contradictory or non-objective, if the content of others doesn't keep views of other in check then what's the point of forum debate. Could make the counter point of contradicting yourself in that one post. You knock some on here as if we consider ourselves better than Ian (we don't, just differing views), then do the same yourself calling a portion of the same posters childish. Literally pot kettle. Ironically.

Cracking result against Barrow in midweek.

Think it would be more likely that we sign a free agent on lesser wages than James to save money who has progression chance, to compete with TGH and Williams. Noticed the other day Shandon Baptiste is out of contract at Brentford end of the season- another Oxford connection (for example) if we chose to go that way. Signed in the Championship for them and had no promotion wage rise clause. So not a long shot salary wise - rumoured to be on £12kpw. Unlikely, but just highlighting where the clubs thought process could be.