Merrick's Marvels

What about Roberts?

Well that's that, then!

January to May this year was progression, surely? And 3 games so far this season is far to early to call, surely?

That's football. So thank god for Lansdown, otherwise we'd be bust. We've got to give Guernsey that, if little else. And I'm not convinced your the go-to guy for financial insight regarding City, neither. But we'll let that slide.

Did they have owners who were either (1) willing to give the finger to ffp, or (2) have a cunning plan? Compared to our owner who is unwilling to do the former and doesn't have the latter. Therein lies the problem. Imho.

But how were we doing - on the pitch - before Pearson, R'ODders? We'd lost 7 in a row, that's how! Pearson turns up, we won 3 of the next 5. All away from home! Caveat - the other 2 were home defeats and we still haven't cracked how to play well at home. I'll give you that. But in answer to your initial question - Yes! Probably. If not absolutely. Cheer up dude.

1000% (maths was never my strong suit). We waited 65 years to get back to the top flight, then immediately shot ourselves in the foot. It could soon be another 50 years since we last played a top flight game. Since then, all manner of tinpot nobodies have sailed past us, thanks largely to the incompetence of the suits who've been running us. Fair play to them, btw - the tinpot nobodies, not the suits. So to say us supporters are impatient and imply this is unjustified is preposterous. Nor are we entitled. We understand full well you need to earn success. We've never expected it just because..... We understand the reason for our mediocrity can primarily be laid at the door of those aforementioned incompetent suits. But there's always light at the end of the tunnel. We just have to hope it's not the muzzle glow from our suits shooting themselves in the foot yet again, this time using the service revolver to dispatch our Nige. I wouldn't bank on it, mind.

Fake news surely? It's not been announced by Shags. On a more serious note, I've been wondering if our (presumably) self-imposed wage budget has been structured so that, amongst other things, it gives us scope for this - giving new contracts (and so presumably pay increases) to a number of young uns we want to keep, Pring and Vyner being the obvious examples? Plus scope when re-negotiating next summer with some or all of the old uns ooc at the end of the season? Couple of presumptions in there. But I want to believe it's a self-imposed wage ceiling (and not that we're still fooked by ffp) and I want to believe it's because we're engineering financial wriggle room for ourselves going forward, rather than the owner deliberately withholding funds from a manager he doesn't like. Anyway, great news about Pring on the Wing. Well done son, thoroughly deserved. You're the new Russell Brommage!

The new kiddie will need to be Carlos Alberto. Ross "Carlos" McCrorie. Got a ring to it, that.

Judging by the 2 home games (a small sample) - No! Because in both, the fact the opposition have set up to make it difficult for us to pass out from the back and also set up to nullify our prime attacking threats (Pring/Bell), seems to have come as a surprise and stumped us. (They appear unconcerned by Tanner/Cornick!!!) Our coaching team seem baffled by this approach. Perhaps they should have spent the summer working on how we should play when, for instance, someone's sat on James, Pring is double teamed or our CBs are lumping it because they've no options. Because the opposition sure have worked on how to play against us. Instead, our lot seem to have spent the summer thinking - we're just going to do the same as last season - predictable, you say? yes, but - what's that? - after Scott's left, too? - yes, we know he was basically 3 players in one and we haven't got anyone who can lace his boots, at anything! - don't worry, everything will be fine - we're going to keep doing the same thing, just not as well - what can go wrong?

His voice seemed a little hoarse - I'm guessing he's spent the last couple of days being a little more hands on than usual in training, telling certain players, in no uncertain terms, what's expected of them.

Absolutely. Which is why, when you lose 9 games in a row (the worst run of defeats in our entire history) or you're 2nd at Xmas and finish 11th or when you're 5th with 6 games to go but only win 1 more and blow the playoffs, the last thing you should do is "allow sentiment to rule". Oh wait.... If there's one thing Lansdown has done in all his time it's precisely that - allow sentiment to rule. I agree, though, it's no way to run a business. The fact he'll likely not renew Pearson's contract and get rid of him instead is just another example of that - allowing sentiment to drive the decision (this time his antipathy to the manager, as opposed to his love in with Lee Johnson) rather than basing his decision on whether Pearson is best qualified for the job. Given we have a team of basically young uns learning as they go, and a budget that doesn't allow profligate spending, who better to steer our club forward than Pearson - someone who's a brilliant man-manager and who prides himself on never having spent much money anyway? But will Guernsey see it that way?

Agreed but the journos still make me despair because they had an easy opportunity to lighten the mood but instead managed to miss an open goal, a slam dunk gimme of an open goal: "Happy Birthday for Monday, Nige" ""How was your birthday, Nige?" "Do anything nice for your birthday, Nige?" It's so bleedin obvious they must be as thick as mince not to have thought of it. Or petrified of him.

And they're also thick because, when told there's no headroom left in the wage budget, they can't think to ask whether that's because 1) we've chosen not to pay any more, or 2) we can't pay any more (cos we're at our ffp max) I can't believe it's 2, so if it's 1 that opens up endless possible questions - instead of "when will injured player x be fit again?"

Sent to coventry

Indeed Phil, no argument on his career - supports a sh!tehouse football team though.

So where do we think he's going to play, right back or midfield? My money's on right back until McCrorie is fit.

I think he was a very different beast to Mark Ashton!

Not if it keeps us up, Silvio! There's optimism for you ?

I find it hard to believe Pelling got involved with deals set up by the manager/chief scout, unless instructed to. And that instruction can only come from above.

Cardiff filth.

For the billionth time - he didn't want to stay. Are you suggesting we should have refused to let him go and instead have a seriously pissed off player stinking the place out for the rest of the season? Plus the fact, 25 million quid substantially helps our ffp position over the next several years and will allow us to bring in several new players to develop the squad as a whole. Again - forcing players to stay, when they want to move, is counter productive. I would say, put yourself in his shoes, but suspect you haven't the wit. Selling someone who cost us nothing for 25 million quid isn't lack of ambition, it's football, it's business, it's where we - and about 90 other English football clubs - are in the pecking order. It's a bummer, that's life. Comprendez??? Somehow I doubt it.

He's been out with Irene!

You might want to quickly edit that mate ?

Unfortunately, it's not the results - it's the performances. That's the main, but not only, reason for the downbeat mood. Still early days though and let's see how we're fixed at the end of the transfer window. Anyway, back to this lad - hopefully he'll have something about him, even if he is another one "learning the game" as he goes - you still in touch with that fella who's a mad Baggies fan? What can he tell us?