samo II

Only one team going to lose after Extra Time tonight.

 

That's a big result for us.

I thought this too.  And with a deeper squad than MK Dons, this was last night's silver lining.

Disappointing to lose to Watford, of course, but not like we were favourites.

If we were to absolutely go for it in one game this week, I think the logic would be for that game to be MK Dons.

Gas lost, swindle lost but Stevenage win.

Not too bad really; puts them still a point behind but a game more played.

If they were playing games in hand and winning, then we'd have a problem. 

Burns + Barnett on

Be difficult, considering Barnett's no in the squad, and is cup tied.

That's what I'm thinking. They put him on the transfer list so probably aren't expecting a big fee.

The fact he's basically be agitating for a transfer for over a year since falling out with the manager and owner will undoubtedly have lowered his value.

And looks like we've done alright,considering championship sides were apparently after him;

http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/sport/ipswich_town_wanted_tyrone_barnett_on_loan_reveals_barry_fry_1_3195265

Sorry I didn't say my point well,

I mean I hope the price that we agreed for if we do want to sign him permanently isn't a silly amount

If it is and he doesn't look worth it, we don't have to pay it.

Then again, he could hit the form that saw him get a Championship move, and the fee we've agreed ends up looking like peanuts because they wanted rid, and he could be a bargain.

Either could be the case; it's all speculation right now.

What isn't speculation is that he is here on loan, has a goal every 3.5 games in the league, and is a significant improvement on the player he's replaced (Ryan Taylor).

Let's enjoy that for now.

From the Posh forum: "Who'd be a Bristol City fan. Front three Barnett, Baldock and JET. Is it possible to get three worse attitudes?"

 

Baldock?

Not to be funny, but what would they know?

Look at the number of fallings out they have (often publicly) at their club, half of them likely due to the clown up-stairs and the blazing ego of Fergie Jr.

Think it is more a case of sour grapes; their 3rd highest scorer just left them for a team in the bottom four.  :/

Excellent stuff.  Proven at this level, even this season, and is an option we do not have currently.

Can see him being able to play with any combination of our current forwards, which is nice to see too.

And, finally, a real aerial threat up top. 

I'd like to ship out Fielding and bring in a back up to Parish on less wages.

I'm kinda surprised that isn't on the cards; Fielding can't be satisfied being back up, and didn't we sign some young lad as 3rd choice?

Get the feeling Parish isn't the highest paid keeper, despite being first choice.

stockhausen mentioned on twitter nothing more today or tomorrow but SC been working extremely hard and maybe more influx before the weekend.

 

Cant for the life of me think what we need unless we are shipping out a couple of faces...

Kilkenny gone makes little difference because we're pretty overloaded in centre midfield, but would like to see a winger.

If Barnett arrives, I'd say he's Harewood's replacement (and Taylor's, in a sense), but other than a winger I kind of agree about where to improve.

Without a shadow of a doubt.

 

Better to enjoy it while we can though, rather than wallow in self pity because he's not making a pigs ear of it straight away, as some predicted.

So much yes to this.

Best you can hope for is any manager coming in moves the club forward far enough that their eventual stagnation/failure leaves the club in a better place than when they arrived.  

Worst scenario is they don't just inhibit the club's development, but actively damage the foundations for the future, hence my belief Coppell and McInnes are the worst recent managers we've had, despite perhaps the latter having better 'on-field' stats than our last manager.

But that isn't what this thread is about, sorry!

Well unless they sign a new goalie they will be fielding their 3rd choice after Ikeme broke his hand and Hennessey refused to play for them again.

Yeah, noticed that.  Obviously, they could sign a new keeper, though no guarantee they'll settle straight away.  

Basically, I think we need to approach every game positively, Wolves included.  They are good, but not world beaters. 

Roger Johnson is pure garbage, you could find a better CB in the streets than Roger Johnson. What are west ham doing

Maybe it's Big Sam loading his own gun?

He's not played a game for Wolves this season, has he?

Johnson's not played for Wolves since last season...Jackett didn't give him a squad number

My bad, apologies.  Still, do think they'll get interest in the likes of Edwards and Griffiths; Celtic are already sniffing around the latter.  Not sure, even with parachute payments, they'll be able to retain all their stars.

If we play this at Wolves we will get destroyed.

Just to reiterate my point RE Wolves likely being a different/weaker team when we meet them; the exodus begins...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25625534

Just LOVE the way all these threads turn into partisan arguments over nothing.  LOVE.  IT.

Really reflects well on everyone involved, honestly it does.  

A 6ft 3 lump who's good in the air, not afraid to smash into anyone (ask Greg), was playing non league 4 years ago, is 28 years old and is on the transfer list for being involved in a night club fracas.

Burt or Cotterill? I think I know where my money is... This lad wouldve fit right into "the crazy gang" back in the day.

Not being funny, but I actually think the highlighted part is EXACTLY the option we need in the squad, regardless of who picked him out.

A few people here worry that someone has to be on their way out just because we're signing a striker. Bottom line is if jet or baldock get injured Taylor is our only real option to play instead surely it makes sense to sign another striker that can actually score a goal or 2 unlike Taylor for use as cover I case of injury or even a second half sub??

To be fair; That is the perfect description for Taylor... if you were referring to his entire City career.

He could drop Wes.... that's what SOD would do, and wouldn't think twice about it either.

The Least agro decision is drop Wes and keep Taylor on the bench ..... job done.... of course i hope that doesn't happen

 another interesting decision needs to be made re the fact that Fontaine is in the 18 man squad now, again would you drop Carey ?

if you try and name an 18 man squad for Saturday, then you will see what i mean about some tough decisions over the next few weeks.

two will miss out plus Brundle

Will it be Wes and Louis ? i really hope not

Who cares what SO'D would do?  Why bring it up?  The current gaffer is playing him, and praising him, so why mention it?

And Wes Burns is getting experience and putting in good performances from the bench, and that is unlikely to change whether we sign another striker or not.  SC said himself that Burns probably isn't going to be starting, so the player who really need to worry is Taylor, who I think will disappear one way or another if this goes through (out of the club or two the reserves).

And Brundle, as good a prospect as he is, isn't going to be higher up the order than Carey or Fontaine, and frankly neither is first choice, so it just comes down to who SC thinks is needed on the match day; Carey's experience or Fontaine's relative youth.  Good to have that option, but more importantly we now have three clear first choices above them.

I'm seeing this signing as more of a hindrance than a help..

1. Bad blood between him and Cunningham could unsettle the camp.

2.signed from rivals Peterborough. Agent to make is turn bad. Odd to sign a rivals striker.

3. Our current shape and formation is working for us. Unless Barnett is a sub I don't want his signing to mean we got two up top with jet behind. It affects the way the rest of the team play. We have good balance atm.

Just not sure about this one. And what happened to wes Thomas?

So, if Baldock is injured you'd like to have only Taylor as striker back up?  I wouldn't.  Plus, there will be games where we struggle to breakdown teams with our movement, pace and passing, and will need a battering ram, which Taylor isn't, and this lad might just be.

The signed from rivals stuff I literally don't understand, and the 'bad blood' thing is a hand shake and a chat; nothing more.  Not saying they'll be best buddies, but then Sherringham and Cole hated the living s___ out of each other, but did a job for their team.

We can't just sit and hope thing stay the same; they won't and we'll need options.  And, for the record, Wes Thomas is another pie-in-the-sky one like Johnny Russell; he's the sort of player that the promotion chasing teams like Peterborough and Wolves are chasing, while Barnett is the player they push out to lower in the division teams like us.  Let's not forget where we are. 

If we play this at Wolves we will get destroyed.

You mean the team with 1 win in 7, and that against Crewe?

And they'll be fending off bids for several players over the next few weeks, along with having to play their 3rd choice keeper.  

I see them having a tricky month until we meet them at the end of it, unless we beat Watford, then we'll not play them till later anyway.

 

Interesting views on "Tyrone" taken from The Exiled Robin blog earlier in the season just before Posh came to AG...perhaps a more honest appraisal of him: ...

Good spot, and like you say, much more worth listening to than the keyboards warriors out mouthing off because he's about to become an opposition player.  

Bet if JET was to be picked up (hope he's not mind) they'd be plenty of people announching what a lazy slacker he was, regardless of the truth of the situation.

Didn't Barnett play when we lost to Crawley in the cup under Del? Thought he looked ok that day. Got the best out of Matt tubbs, who's pretty similar to baldock. Just a big mobile striker. Only issue for me is personality. He's one of the ones ferguson tried to bin off when him, Zakuani and that other lad went on a p!ss up after they lost. Wonder if he'll shove jet out wide now?

Considering he's spoken at length about making JET stay more central, I really don't see that happening.  Ipswich and Cardiff tried to do that; both failed.

One's captain, the other is our standout player, and I can't imagine Barnett will come here to sit on the bench if he's getting game time at Peterborough or has options elsewhere. Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but based on the team Cotterill played in his first game at Tamworth (Taylor starting) it may be that he wants to play two up front but wasn't confident in Taylor's ability so had to drop that until he could bring someone else in. 

SC is now the third manager to come to this conclusion.

Don't wish to lay into the lad but surely SURELY if this transfer goes through Taylor will get shipped out on loan or otherwise?

He's behind a teenager in the squad now, he's gotta know he's done here.

Would be pleased with this. I think it was their RB (Little) who crocked Cunningham.

No, it was Barnett (http://www.bcfc.co.uk/fixtures-results/match-report/index.aspx?matchid=3517996).

Be interesting to see how they interact.  Was a bad, bad challenge.

Can he fit in WITH Baldock and Jet?

 

Will we sacrifice a midfielder and keep Jet roaming and play two up top?

 

Oh, and is this official?

I hope the plan would be to incorporate all three; they certainly are all different types of player.  Could be a very formidable combination, if working well together.

And as for centre midfield; we've got with Reid, Elliott, Pack and Wynter full time, only three of whom can claim to be 1st teamers right now.  Arguably only Reid is an attacking option there.  

Gillett also looks very decent, but as far as I'm aware his loan is up this month, so may not be here for much longer.

Type of signing we need, with JET drifting we do struggle to hold the ball upfront. Question is how will Cotterill fit Barnett in with JET and Baldock? Could play JET where Reid has been playing but I feel that would be unfair on Bobby who has been great this season.

Wonder if the Taylor/Baldock/JET trio we saw at Tamworth might be the objective, with Barnett filling the Taylor role?

Peterborough played a similar system with Tomlin in the 'hole' when they visited us, and unless we sign some wingers, JET as the central attacking midfielder in a 5 man/wing-back midfield isn't too bad a thought.