Dr Balls

20 minutes ago, italian dave said:

Don’t you think he still sees Bristol Sport as a legacy though? And have an interest in cementing that with the Sporting Quarter? 

Maybe, but the way ETM are causing problems with the housing at Ashton Vale, which needs to be sorted to free up the funds for the Sporting Quarter, it wouldn’t surprise me if SL just feels like he has had enough. He’s in his mid to late 60s now and could probably do without all of the aggravation that comes with owning sports teams. Far easier to set up environmental and hotel projects that are not so unpredictable as football and don’t risk anywhere near so much money.

2 hours ago, Tinmans Love Child said:

He's the football equivalent of Liz Truss!

She only lasted 50 days in a role she was clearly unsuited for. Manning has had far longer but is still here…

Just now, REDOXO said:

I saw a few weeks ago a very well known poster write the word ‘behave’ when it was mentioned we could be in a relegation fight before long. 
 

We are now six points clear of the last relegation spot, looking like ass with none of us seeing where the next win is coming from. 
 

I’m not so sure we aren’t going to be dragged right into it!
 

 

We will be by next Sunday. Only one way we are heading in the league table and that’s down. On another thread, posters were asked where they wanted us to finish this season and I stick by what I said then “21st or above”. The last 2 games of the season against Rotherham and Stoke are going to be enormous.

11 minutes ago, Red white and red said:

Or half eaten cress sandwich. No butter. 

That’s two weeks past its sell by date and all turned up at the corners!

19 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Let’s be honest, they were shite as well.

That’s the frustration I know we were outclassed by Leeds but realistically we’re not their level.

Cardiff are us, same points before the game, same level of players & we barely laid a glove on them.

The football is sterile too, incredibly dull to sit through.

I didn’t mind losing to Leeds in one sense because they were clearly so much better than us. The defeats at home under Manning that really show up the problem are the three 1-0 defeats to Millwall, QPR and today to Cardiff. No cutting edge, no threat, no attack to speak off, just dull turgid possession for possessions’ sake, going nowhere passing along the back line or back to the goalkeeper. Only 1 upfront, who often has to drop back, such that if we ever do get the ball in the penalty box, that player isn’t there.

It’s terrible to watch and easy to defend against. The lack of goals from our forwards from open play speaks to the fact that this system doesn’t work with the players we have got. I feel sorry for Wells and Conway because they have an impossible job. I said before that Harry Kane would struggle to score for us right now. Well I have changed my mind. Even Eeling Haaland would struggle to even get a chance as the centre forward playing for us. There are just no chances being made for the strikers. And if I remember correctly, the objective of football is to score more goals than the opposition. Not under Manning it would seem!

20 minutes ago, italian dave said:

 

Yes, fair points. And my post wasn’t intended to be flippant; just that when we’re talking about owner and/or owner’s family the situations and the connotations are a lot different. And just lumping head coach, manager, CEO, announcer or whatever all in the same pot as JL - as others are doing elsewhere - isn’t realistic.

With any of those others you cite the fact that they’re not good enough, that relationships have broken down, whatever. It’s a lot harder to do that with your own son.

And SLs track record is to generally show patience; I’m just not sure that three consecutive defeats will alter that.

I’m not even convinced, to be honest, that City are SLs number one interest now anyway. I think he sees his legacy as being more about Bristol Sport and the Sporting Quarter - albeit BC are a fundamental part of that.

You may be right. Who knows! But who takes his place? 

SL has pretty much zero interest in Bristol City now and only slightly more in the rugby. He actually wants out without losing an enormous amount of money. His major interest now is the environmental and ecological projects in Southern Africa (Botswana and Mozambique). Bristol City men’s and women’s teams are just a headache he probably feels he could do without.

My God he is so uninspiring. In terms of a lack of passion, he makes SO’D look like Brian Clough! Would I give everything for that coach? Nope. Because I wouldn’t trust him to ever take any responsibility for getting it wrong. It’s all about the coaches did a great job, but the players didn’t execute. We used to call out LJ for throwing the players under the bus, but Manning is a different level of denial that any of this might be his fault.

Well it’s pretty hard defending the indefensible. Bad as losing 1-0 at home to Millwall and QPR was, the manner of this 1-0 defeat against Cardiff is so much worse. Not just because it’s a derby, although that doesn’t help. It’s because it proves Manning has learnt nothing from those previous games.

1 hour ago, Capman said:

I am not really bothered if he stays or goes. If the current establishment sack him they will only replace him with someone who looks the same. He is not the ‘problem’ he is a symptom. We have a board who are not up to the job, until that changes things will stay much the same. 

“The Board” doesn’t really exist. It’s Jon Lansdown and the Bristol Sport accountant. That’s it! No one to question bad decisions. No one to hold them to account. No one to challenge the status quo of Nepo kid being in charge.

Yes the board needs to change but we all know it won’t happen. As long as dad holds the purse strings, that’s how it’s going to be.

22 minutes ago, The Journalist said:

I liked Holden, though. He was clearly out of his depth and the wrong appointment but I liked his intent, how he wanted to go about it, his personality.

Manning - and everything about us currently - feels so sterile and meh. I’ve no real affection for him, no attachment, no real feeling of wanting him to do well.

Maybe that’s just me - or on me - but it is what it is.

Manning offers nothing. Like for like substitutions in a system that isn’t working. No Plan B. No passion. Nothing.

Football like almost all sport is not played in theory but in reality. As much as it can be about tactics, it’s also about desire and passion. Its not played in some sterile vacuum.

Would I be inspired by Manning, who achieved nothing as a player, nothing tangible as a manager, already had one sacking on his brief senior level career, and who seems to have zero man management skills? No. And I don’t think the payers are either.

1 minute ago, DaveF said:

We've got Ipswich to lose to before that.

Hard to see where the points are going to come from.

When you only play with one striker what does anyone expect? Minimal service and I don’t see us getting much joy from corners as they have Dickie tightly marked. Has 0-0 written all over it. Happy to be proven wrong but I doubt it!

TBF it does look pretty snowy over East Bristol (in the background) this morning. However already thawing and turning to rain up here in Kingsdown. Also snowy looking north towards Purdown and south towards Redcliffe but can’t see over towards Ashton Gate from up here. 

45 minutes ago, Loco Rojo said:

Clear in the Centre.

Roads are clear but there is still a dusting on the roofs and cars.

42 minutes ago, redkev said:

 

on another note have met a Oxford season ticket holder here who is a pretty switched on he is convinced once manning has the right players here he will be a success , ummm let’s see I said , I really don’t know what to expect any more I think this season there has been more false dawns than ever 

But that’s the point. How many players? 2-3? 6? 11? Bye bye nest egg? Or perhaps the plan was always to provide it to the next manager/head coach.

However it does feel like Manning has one way of playing which requires potentially more expensive/better players, when it could be argued that more expensive/better players might be more successful whatever the system and tactics.

24 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

One of the most damning decisions Liam has made is Mehmeti. He put him straight in the side at QPR and has played him in the majority of games since despite him being sketchy at best. There were people who when he’d had two passable games were scared of losing him in the transfer window, when in over a year at the club now, he’s never seemed consistently up to the level.

Im of the firm belief that Liam had him on his list at Oxford - and Anis may have done well there - but Liam misjudged the gap between league one and this level. In a lot of things, but that one notably. And he played Anis because he would have been good at league one. 
 

So is Chris bloody Martin.

I would suggest on the evidence of last season, both with us and QPR, plus how he has been ripping it up in League 1, that Chris Martin would still be more use to us at this level in terms of getting goals than Mehmeti.

1 minute ago, Silvio Dante said:

I don’t like comparing Liam to LJ, but the cutback position representing “POMO” sprang to mind!

On a broader basis, it starts to become pretty one dimensional and better teams defend against it. And then when you’ve got not great quality out wide (cough..Mehemti…) the position is even worse….

4 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

We aren’t even getting the cut-backs

Step forward TGH thunderbastard at the weekend

I think between you that you have identified the problem. Especially as Mehmeti always wants to cut inside as soon as he gets anywhere near the penalty area. Difficult to cut back from there…

25 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

I often refer to the Dons snd Oxford views on Liam and the below is pretty relevant here. If he can’t get the cutbacks working, it seems there is a dearth of other answers to create chances…..

That’s a worrying description if ever there was. So lots of possession but minimal end product beyond cut backs and “wonder goals”. Our recent form (or lack of) and goal scoring woes for our centre forward players is making a lot more sense.

4 hours ago, Oh Louie louie said:

If we got on o dowdas back and make it hostile he will play like Stan laurel, rather than collymore

O’ Dowda often played like Stan Laurel for us, so I don’t think booing will have anything to do with it!

4 minutes ago, RumneyRed said:

Cardiff score most of their goals through set pieces so providing we defend better than of late we should be fine. My Wife is a Cardiff season ticket holder and i stood in the Canton End with her for the Preston game the other week and they were pretty poor after a bright opening 20 minutes. They seem to rely on very experienced players and have quite a mish mash of players. Ng is decent and Colvill could be decent if they gave him more opportunities.

Mentioned the risk from set pieces in reply to one of Davefevs’s posts of statistics. Scored more from set pieces than any other club at this level this season (12) so we definitely need to be practising defending corners and free kicks this week.

3 hours ago, Redland said:

Yep.

Joe Royle’s four on debut was against Middlesbrough in 1977, IIRC. Then went absolutely ages before scoring another goal that season!

25 minutes ago, REDOXO said:

Steve blessings be upon him Cotterill FGR 1up against Wrexham. They’ll give him the freedom of Nailsworth of he pulls an escape off. 

It’s a bit of a Gloucestershire theme between FGR and Cheltenham. If both beat relegation, I can be magnanimous enough to not only praise Cotts, but also briefly overlook one of his previous managerial posts and even applaud Darrell Clarke.

1 minute ago, GrahamC said:

Apparently he was amazing against Maidstone..

I know that Maidstone beat Ipswich away, but it’s not like Kasey Palmer has been ripping it up regularly for Coventry this season. Unlike Szmodics at Blackburn!

2 minutes ago, Laner said:

BBC missed us out on his career path to date. 

I would imagine Sammie would like to forget his time with us too!

18 minutes ago, ashton_fan said:

Given the amount of time Nige was given and that he was one of the longest serving Championship managers when he left I'm sure we're seen as a fair employer for prospective candidates . It was actually his second longest stint in any of his previous jobs

Nige even lasted fairly long time at Watford, considering that time spent as manager there is counted in dog years rather than human ones!