Merrick's Marvels

Agree with you but, on Pearson, surely the cost of the sack and paying him off would make our terrible FFP position even worse. Which is, literally, the last thing we should be doing. Lansdown isn't that daft, surely? If he only understands one thing, it's the cost of everything. Which makes Pearson relatively bulletproof at the moment, albeit by default!

If you seriously think that 11 gets us higher up the table then you're in need of psychiatric help. Or perhaps your amateur analysis is superior to the proven professionals we employ. Who knows. Of course we're all frustrated by the season we've had, by the inconsistency, by the glacial pace of progress. But... O'Leary? If the opposition get a decent shot on target, it goes in. Unlike if Bentley is in goal - to blame his distribution on the team's lack of fluidity in possession is nuts - what about the 10 outfield players??? The idea Kalas has the mobility to play how modern full backs are required to - up and down, up and down - is a nonsense. Never mind the fact, if he had played RB this season, it would have fatally weakened central defence as the options there would have been what exactly? No Baker, Atkinson unavaible for long periods, Klose only been here 5 minutes. Vyner???? The non centre back Pring??? You pick Klose and Atkinson as a combo when in fact they've only been available to Pearson in the last couple of weeks when - guess what - he's picked them! That naive midfield will get bullied, bossed and run all over the show. And with no-one up front who's any good at actually getting hold of the ball and keeping it, those 3 players make a useless combination. Chris Martin is no-one's idea of Lionel Messi but his unfashionable, unflashy strengths are the sort of glue that holds every team together. In fact, what our team needs now is more glue, a heck of a lot more glue. Enjoy your Football Manager. Nigel Pearson lives in the real world.

I don't consider our 2 posts to be mutually exclusive .

Perhaps someone could ask Chris Martin? It sure as heck won't be Dave Barton though.

Unfortunately, he'd already established a reputation for going down very easily under pressure. Benarous does the same. I fear we've got an unwelcome reputation amongst referees as a team that looks for contact and free kicks. Just a theory.

OK, so far we have The Masonic and Liquid Assets - anyone want to add further boozers along North Street?? (Probably them all, if we're honest) Mind you, I can still see that winning goal at Crewe even now. What a night that was - punching the air all the way home,, Brassneck by the Weddoes on repeat on the car stereo . What a team, what a season.

It's a stat pimarily based on our style of play earlier in the season, a style we were able to abandon once Semenyo was fit and started hitting his straps. So it's misleading. And I'm not sure it's very informative anyway.

I know the "fit and proper person" test for prospective owners is a bit of a joke but even so.....

Good lord, no. They've had 1 season in the top tier ever - surely you remember how that went? They let in over 100 goals and won a grand total of 5 games all season! Happy days.

Correct.

Desperate times, desperate measures - only the lack of an apostrophe stops this forum getting a call up!

Imo, it should not only be lauded but, when you understand our historical travails at this level and then factor in our current financial position plus the mess of a squad he inherited, be acknowledged as a near miraculous achievement. Scandously, imo, that acknowledgement seems unlikely - judging by the opinion of the suits above him (who seem to think he's "under performing") and the know-nothing gobshites of social media and local radio. More fool them. Personally, I'm happy to carry Nige shoulder high to the nearest hostelry at season's end to celebrate, although I appreciate this honour is usually reserved for fake sheikhs, fake messiahs, fake football clubs. Nige is no messiah, and he may even be a very naughty boy, but fake he is not.

Well if it was the same game I went to, it was both cold and wet. New Years Day 1990. Oh, and Shelts was sent off! Edit: Think the away game you're thinking of was the following season

The day job might pay better!

"Not until our finances allow"? "Not until I move upstairs and do it myself"?! "Not until Harry gives up the day job" ? Who knows. From the way he answered the question, I certainly don't expect us to have a Head of Recruitment any time soon.

Nigel Pearson previews Bristol City vs Birmingham City | Press Conference - YouTube See at 36:15: Q: "A Head of Recruitment... is that something you're looking to fill this summer?" Pearson: "No. We're looking to tweak how things work but that's not on the agenda at the moment"

I've still got the bruises from shaking his hand in 1990 - firm doesn't begin to describe it. So god knows what being tackled by him felt like - firm and then some, I'd imagine.

He does appear to be and best wishes to him for a speedy recovery. But for balance, he was a dirty thug as a player. A red card at Ashton Gate in the 80s, for a deliberate studs up stamp, remains fresh in my memory.

That's what we want to happen. But you state it as if this will happen. Badly worded on your part? Because you surely know there's a world of difference between what we want and reality. Can you seriously see another Championship club wanting to take Vyner? I can't. If not, do you think he'd jump at the chance of playing League One? I don't. Which means we're stuck with him. Fwiw, I don't think Hearts will want to turn Moore's loan into a permanent move. And having been unconvinced by him from day 1, I'm struggling to understand why anyone would want to sign him permanently tbh. Which means we're stuck with him, too. It'll be a miracle if these 2 leave in the summer along with Palmer and Wells, imo.

Bravo sir. When things don't go his way he's a ridiculous, whingeing excuse of a man. Does he really need endless Fergietime to defeat the mighty BCFC??? Plenty of other teams haven't this season. Tw**. He's been there 5 minutes but he's already feeling the pressure, he's already reaching for the excuses because he's had zero impact since getting that job. Being useless but retaining a sense of "but I played for Man United" entitlement is not a good mix. Bring on the cabbage throwers. Please make sure your aim is true, Baggies.

For some reason I remember a cry of "put snow on it" during one of the games in Lyon, all those years ago. (Not the only lasting memory tbf!) Perhaps we could get one of the Atomic Spuds over to translate this into Franglais for HNM?

He can have the full length of his contract and then some more from me. If we lose a few bedwetting supporters along the way, so much the better.

Just checked the dictionary to make sure "quite jaunty" doesn't mean "like a tit".

If the cap fits.... (it doesn't). So, yeah, nice one - just wait fer the paperback to come out, mind. Anyone else? ? PS. Went to Latham's book launch before Xmas and got Sir Geoffrey to autograph that photo of him leading the team out the tunnel at Highbury in Aug 76. Shaking him by the hand, I pointed to the photo and suggested "it won't ever get better than that Geoff". Let's just say he didn't disagree ? What a man.