Merrick's Marvels

3 hours ago, cidered abroad said:

I'm amazed to see this as I have always believed that all club records, if held by the club, were destroyed in the floods of late 1960's.

So is this something that David Woods would have access to when writing his City histories?

I think it has probably been donated more recently than that. 

2 hours ago, Mihai said:

What is this guy playing ? Something similar to Matty James ? 

Yes and a bit more mobile. 

19 minutes ago, slartibartfast said:

Stoke..........the arsehole of the Empire !

The Black Hole of Staffordshire.

I've known 4 Stoke City fans and 1 Port Vale over the years. None lived in Stoke.

Nuff said.

53 minutes ago, mozo said:

To bring us closer to some sort of closure, I think Steve Lansdown should, and could easily, front up when the season's over, and just apologise for poor messaging around the Pearson sacking. That needs to be followed by a glowing appraisal of the work Pearson did (and best wishes to him).

That mea culpa and act of gratitude would make a world of difference to the relationship with the fans.

But unfortunately, I don't think many ludicrously wealthy people feel they have to apologise for anything, or accept other people's best interests. At least not this one.

Literally all we need is a couple of minutes of grace and selflessness, and then we can draw a line under it.

Well said.

Well played City.

4 minutes ago, Markthehorn said:

He was playing up all night apparently.

Someone will thump him soon.

Hold me coat.

The Villa goalie dicking around???

Who knew he was a prize pr1xk?

Oh look, Everyone.

2 hours ago, Oxmary said:

I really hope that he won't betray you too. 

Can't happen soon enough.

Sorry to disappoint.

52 minutes ago, RedRoss said:

What a strange rant. It's just abit of fun to see everyone's opinion.

 

Fair enough fella.

But in a season when everyone - everyone - at City hasn't been good enough, bar Dickie, the idea of "awards" is a bit of joke, quite frankly.

I can only assume you're about 12 or alternatively happy to accept utter mediocrity ad infinitum.

Some of us aren't. That is, about 12 or happy to accept utter mediocrity.

But no worries, knock yourself out.

But as far as I'm concerned the last 9 months might as well not have occurred.

If you think we've made a step forward from where we were 12 months ago, fair enough. If you think this warrants awards and celebration, fair enough.

You need 5?

From the minute the owner decided not to re-invest the Scott money - a decision no doubt taken well before he was actually sold - and from the minute the owner decided to not renew Nigel Pearson's contract - a decision no doubt taken long, long before he was actually sacked - this season has been a waste.

A waste of everyone's time, money and emotional energy.

A waste of the aforementioned that a lot of us, including the pensioner owner, can ill afford.

So can we just get on with it please.

Get on with not wasting everyone's time, money, energy.

Get on with having a season where it isn't just one player - Rob Dickie - deservedly hoovering up every single award going.

What a joke end of season awards are when all you've done is spend 9 months pissing players and fans off.

Well played City!

19 minutes ago, steviestevieneville said:

He hasn’t shown anywhere near enough to pay that sort of money imo 

He's better than what he's shown so far, imo.

1 hour ago, HunstantonRed said:

£3.5 mil will do it.

Hope you're right.

He's what we need - if fit!

24 minutes ago, HunstantonRed said:

Burnley will let him go for lower. 

Yes they might do, bearing in mind parachute payments and the fact they'll need to build a stronger team this time round than the last one that was in the Championship but has proved well out of its depth in the Prem.

However, they won't be giving him away or offering him around on the cheap. So we'll have to negotiate well, box clever, persuade them to lower their price.

Who will be doing that for us? Tinnion? Junior?

Oh sh*t.

£5 million it is then. 

No more puff pieces about how well Bristol City are run then. 

21 hours ago, GrahamC said:

It’s also the squad depth issue.

Unless Williams stays if James does go, we are then 2 senior midfielders down with only Max Bird currently lined up.

Worth pointing out as well that Andy King is widely expected not to be with us next season but he’s been in the match day squad 29/41 times already & with a subs bench that has included the likes of Knight-Lebel, Yeboah, Nelson, Mebude, Meerholz, Backwell & Araoye, none of whom have a single league start between them, that’s yet more experience lost.

Hopefully Benarous will be fit enough to be involved next season but you are taking a very big risk if you’re counting on that.

Next season has the makings of a car crash at this rate.

An injury-prone squad light on numbers, lacking quality, lacking leaders who actually know what success looks like, coached by an inexperienced, negative, charisma-free robot, answering to a teknikal director who's one and only attempt at building a squad, in 2005, was a total failure. Meanwhile, an invisible owner has cut the purse strings and left his manchild, know nothing son in charge of the whole sorry mess.

What could possibly go wrong?   

1 hour ago, Engvall’s Splinter said:

Is that the Lez geezer who has multiple accounts on here?

Lost me after the first 20 seconds of sh1te that came out his mouth.

And quite frankly, this pod is better suited to the radio. 

40 minutes ago, Supersonic Robin said:

Assuming we plan to continue with the 3-4-2-1, this is how I currently see the squad for next season.

Players that I've omitted are either those who I feel don't really have a role to play in the system (e.g. Bell), those who are out of contract and looking unlikely to be extended (e.g. Naismith), or those who I don't think are ready to be relied upon as a regular starter (e.g. Murphy).

I'm wanting 2 players we can rely upon per position.

A "?" essentially means "We're lacking someone to fill this role".

 

 

IMO, there are 2 big holes to fill in the starting 11:

• An attacking/creative midfielder
• A new striker, assuming Conway will leave

I'd like to see us spend the vast majority of our budget for the summer on getting these 2 signings right.

 

Outside of that, I think there are a number of positions in which we need to add depth (i.e. a "second choice"). I'm happy for us to be shrewd with this, relying on young players we already have at the club (if they're ready), players who are out of contract, or lower league players who we feel can make a step up.  Those positions are:

• Another attacking midfielder (is Stokes/Benarous ready to fill this role?)
• A RWB
• A LWB
• A CB
• A GK

 

Obviously, this assumes no one (bar Conway) in the above squad is sold. Naturally, if other players were to be sold then they would need replacing too.

Naismith isn't out of contract - 1 year left.

I agree about not including him though! I'd sell this summer.

Sykes is one of our most consistent performers, one of the first names on the teamsheet. So for me he's not an understudy to anyone and certainly not to one of our most inconsistent performers.

Him, McCrorie and Tanner are sufficient numbers on the Right hand side, I would have thought - if we are continuing with a small squad.

For the same reason, we don't need a deputy for Dickie as him, Vyner, Atkinson and Roberts, with Tanner and Pring as emergency cover, should be enough numbers even with our wretched injury record. Roberts can also cover Pring. 

I don't think Bird hasn't signed for us to be an understudy either. I guess one of James or Williams will be allowed to leave - I'd go with you and keep James.

Which leaves the No.10 - the critical position to fill this summer it seems.

Well firstly - big ask, no pressure - but I'm not giving up on Benarous.

If we signed Twine or similar and Benarous was back to full fitness, that's your starting 10s. Mehmeti as cover but I have my doubts about him because the problem is not with his talent but what's between his ears.

Having said all that - we still can't be sure how Manning plans to line up - will it be 3 at the back or will it be 4 - will it be 2 no.10s or just 1? 

But whichever way he does line up, it seems we can be sure it will be a lone striker and at least 1 no.10. Which means there's one other puzzle to solve:

What to do with Sam Bell.

I find it hard to believe we'll jettison him just yet but where he fits into the above is a bit of a head scratcher. 

On 03/04/2024 at 16:21, Davefevs said:

Kal is getting closer…not planned to be out for rest of season.

Is Naismith going into the last year of his contract?

If so, it seems we're not exactly rushing to offer new terms, unlike Conway for instance. No surprise there.

Personally, I'd lose his wages in the summer if we can. Especially if it meant room in the budget to retain James (not that cost is the driving factor in releasing him it seems) or if it meant increasing our ability to splash out on a really good, ie costly, no.10.

Because, let's face it, we've already proved we're good enough to beat the likes of Saints and Leicester without him. And is he the answer to breaking down the teams that set up to park the bus and hope to nick a win - which is the important improvement we have to make next season - beating teams at AG who park the bus?

Personally, I think not.

Roberts is the future for starters, not Naismith.

And while allowing a lot of experience to walk out the door this summer is not something I'm in favour of - especially for a club that puts so much emphasis on young players - there's a crucial difference between King & James leaving and Naismith.

Because King & James know what winning looks like, what being successful in the Championship and in the Prem looks like. They know what it takes to achieve what our owner says he aspires to (but even then will be released because they make the owner's lapdog, or teknikal director if you will, feel very small and very inadequate just like our previous manager).

Naismith, meanwhile, knows what playing for Accrington Stanley looks like.

Compare and contrast.

Truly, this owner and his lackeys do not deserve success, never mind know how to achieve it.

FotMob don't know their arse from their elbow based on those ratings for us!

Well done, and commiserations, to all the players involved in this Cup run. One or two highly promising lads coming through

Well done, and commiserations, to the people who've coached these lads - Bell and Challis, as I understand it.

Note who isn't involved in any of that, btw. Credit is due where it's deserved, nowhere else.

Well played City.

1 hour ago, Damon lewis said:

Steve lansdown has given the club a sound footing but why should he spend all his money chasing the premier league.

Ok, I'll give you 5 minutes of my time before you can **** off.

And don't bother sending me threatening PMs this time, y'***t.

So, to answer:

It's because that's where HE has said HE wants "HIS" club to be aiming for.

No-one's put a gun to his head.

No-one's asking him to risk the existence of the club.

But more than 20 years is long enough to get it right and he hasn't. So now it's time for someone else to have a go.

There you are. You can **** off now. Again.

30 minutes ago, M.D said:

I think it will be new no.9, wells and Seb, saving loads of cash..

Asking a lot of Seb but would love to see it happen!

He certainly fits the strong, mobile runner Tinnion has said we're after but I wouldn't want to be relying on him for Championship goals. Let's not burden the lad with that just yet.

Prefer to see him have another loan next season, play as first choice striker for someone, be the main man, hit double figures for a season. Then we'd know we've got something.

He's certainly doing all the right things so far, though, isn't he?

39 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Just assume he decides to 3421 going forward.

CF: Wells, Conway (his replacement) plus new no9

10s: Twine (or another), Sykes, Mehmeti, Stokes (future)

CM: TGH, Knight, Bird, Murphy (future)

++++

Where does Bell fit?  Or is Bell the replacement.

Where does Cornick fit?

Where does Sykes fit if he’s not a no10?

Do you replace one or both of James or Williams assuming not extending, because you have four CMs already.

Bold - as stated by technical director.

Squad building is an art form, flip-flopping between back-3 and back-4, can look like a bit Jackson Pollock (rhyming slang)!

 

For clarity - if Conway leaves do you think we'll sign 2 centre forwards?

Only because I get the feeling Lansdown has drawn in the purse strings permanently and will spend a minimum going forward, might it be a case of Conway is sold and next season our lone strikers are New no.9, Wells and Cornick?

A very brave alternative being sell Cornick, buy new No.9 and hope Conway-Newbie-Wells gets us promoted. The risk being in 120 months, Conway leaves for nowt but compensation. Mind you, the way Manning is playing him, Conway's value can't be much more than that now anyway!

Re midfield, assuming James is allowed to leave (face palm), I'd still sign a proven centre mid, even if Williams stays as TGH, Knight and Bird is short on know how for me.