Merrick's Marvels

Modern football is a sort of pantomime now, at elite level. Absolute belters, a lot of them.

£4M is daft money. There has to be better value than that available. We're not going up or down this season so it might be prudent to wait until the summer rather than rush into a deal this month.

If someone needs to be put on the naughty step for allowing Bowen to score, I'm asking Knight, Dickie and Pring to explain themselves before I get to O'Leary. Knight gives the best player on the pitch time and space, Dickie and Pring are ball watching. So that's a 3 seater naughty step already. Personally, I don't think a 4th is required for our keeper. And given how well he played thereafter, I think O'Leary is more likely a Man of the Match contender than this week's whipping boy.

Imagine how good Manning will be once he's found the time to visit a few 5star Michelin restaurants! When's his birthday, perhaps we can club together and buy him a grass-measuring stick?

Amazing how you think that. Would have thought it blindingly obvious Conway and Bell are chalk and cheese, personality-wise.

You've no chance of keeping them. The riches on offer in the Prem nowadays will always sway a youngster to leave. Unlike the 70s, when Alan Dicks could make a persuasive case to the players concerned that jumping straight to Arsenal at the first hint of an offer wasn't the way to go - not least because there wasn't such a massive disparity in wages back then (we were big payers). Unlike today, where the disparity us massive. So our strategy is flawed unless you simply say to the players "you ain't going nowhere and we're going to the top flight together". Which is what Dicks said to Merrick and Ritchie. Source? Tom Ritchie

No. Not unless, at some point, we don't flog them. Scott had to be - all part of the masterplan that requires a Poster Boy for all other academy signings, someone you can point to and say - sign for us because... behold... look what happens to young lads when they join Bristol City. But at some point... we have to get to the Premier League, not just them. And that involves at some point in the future, retaining the new Geoff Merrick and Tim Ritchie and telling Arsenal, like Sir Alan did, to do one.

50p he plays more games for us than any of the youngsters picked "just to sit on the bench to cover our embarrassment" in the last 12 months or so. Not another Scott obvs. But brings similar attributes we desperately lack and which are desperately required if this Manningball thing is to succeed. Our midfield at the moment is the diametric opposite of what a coach like Manning requires. This lad addresses that deficit i would say. In time. How much time? Well, betcha he'll play before season's end, seeing as we're going nowhere - another 50p on it. We're the last of the big spenders!

I go to the pub to have fun. It's one of my principles. Rather have a pint with bloody Lee Johnson.

Many happy returns to the one and only Sir Tom. Legend.

1. Yes, yes I know you're not! Just a wee joke. 2. Thank you for your custom, it was much appreciated. 3. What a team that was! PS. He is dull, though isn't he? And if the powers that be think there are 20,000 Bristolians interested in watching dull possession football, they've made a terrible mistake (another one!). To my eyes, the current squad aren't playing as if things have been simplified for them either. Quite the reverse at times. I fear the Coach is going to need plenty of time and a complete refurb of midfield and attack to make any sort of progress. We have some good defenders and I can see how we've improved when we don't have the ball, especially the pressing bit (which was OK to start with anyway). But when we have the ball, there are games when we are hopeless. Sometimes we're OK but unbelievably wasteful (even when we win - see the Watford game). So overall, I see no significant improvement in our attacking game. I believe he needs time and new players (a lot) for that.

Thanks, Liam! PS. You, and your football, are dull as. Any chance of some fun? Happy New Year.

"Top 6". "One of the best". Won't be needing new players in January then, will we

1928

Not difficult to predict: "There are some great lads coming through." "There are some great lads coming through." "There are some great lads coming through." (I'm doing a great job.)

He's better than Gallagher for starters. And will only get better.

Precisely.

They're petty c.u.n.t.s and dead to me. But we'll still be here long after they've funked off so Up the City and HNY to all real Reds everywhere!

1. So at the first hint - hint - of a bump in the road for a young player, a slight dip in form, you'd get rid? Insane. Especially about a player who has an eye for goal, the type it would cost us a fortune to buy? Insane. If you're arguing let's cash in for a load of money and reinvest, you might have a point worth discussing - before we decide you're still being premature. But I'm not sure you're even arguing that. 2. He's young, still learning, still developing. Playing up top on your own in this league is a big ask, especially if you aren't a big physical type. He'll only get better, why should that be by playing for someone else? 3. He's now being asked to play differently by the new coach. 4. With better supply in the final third, he'd likely have several more goals to his name and this conversation would be about how many he's going to get in total for the season, not about getting rid. The problem - such as it is - doesn't lie with Conway. It lies with our wastefulness in the final third - we could have beaten Watford by a cricket score if it wasn't for the fact that we got in, or around, their area multiple times and then proceeded to pass to a yellow shirt or even not put a ball into the area at all. Better decision making and a better final ball in the final third will improve us immeasurably and whoever is playing centre forward - hopefully Conway - will have a hatful more goals. Conway isn't the problem, it's the fact the rest of them aren't supplying him with enough ammo - even on days when we score 4, away from home! Is the answer improved execution by the current set of players? Or just new players (ACM LW, RW)? Time will tell.

Agree it is well run. And anywhere that sells a pint of Gold for less than 4 quid gets my vote. Plenty of great City memorabilia too.

Richard Dryden. Wade Elliott.

Both Garland and Ritchie scored in all 4 divisions for us. The only 2 to do so. Tom scored against Lincoln at home in 84/85. His only goal that season, only played a few times as TC built a new team. I remember now as it was his wife who pointed this achievement out to me, Tom too modest to mention it himself!

Think both Ritchie and Garland may have. Or maybe it's just played in all 4 divisions for us. Can never remember

Bingo.

What exactly do you expect in this kind of scenario??? Cue another sh1t comment again.