Dr Balls

1 minute ago, INCRED said:

The only thing missing is consistency of performance 

This squad can produce moments of excellence countered by moments of mediocrity 

On their day they can beat anyone as well as lose to anyone 

We know we are missing a goal scoring No9 as what we have at the club currently isn’t good enough

We also lack that creativity to unlock low block defences which needs addressing 

Has BT and the board got a solution in place for the summer as they appear to be saying that is the priority?

Is Manning & his assistant able to coach us into a style and winning team that will challenge next season - who knows but throwing him under the bus so soon is not going to happen with this board & owner until Manning has had a pre season with new players and next season to put into practice what they saw in him 

If he fails miserably and we are fighting for our lives near the lower end of the league then someone will open the trap door and wave LM goodbye 

 

I accept we don’t have a traditional centre forward but we don’t lack goal scoring strikers. But as I have said before, playing Manning’s system, any striker would struggle to get more than 10 goals a season. It’s the tactics and set up more than the players and that’s on him.

In simplistic terms, the barest minimum expectation for Manning should be 63 points at the end of the season, on the basis that we we had 21 for 15 when he took over, and a top half finish, as that’s where we were in the league table when he was appointed. Anything else would suggest a regression even if you ignore the shockingly bad and boring way he has the team set up and playing, where the scoring of goals seems to have been forgotten somewhere along the line.

And no I don’t accept the “it’s not his players” argument. Good managers and coaches can use the players they have and amend their tactics accordingly and successfully. Bad ones blame the players!

1 hour ago, NickJ said:

Looks like you were right, although as you will see I don't agree Birmingham was worse.

Don't agree Birmingham was worse. I'm talking about entertainment, from both teams, not the performance from Bristol Cty. Birmingham fans would have been happy. The game against Swansea was dire with no effort from either team to entertain and frankly an insult to people who are paid a fraction of the so called entertainers.

 

Yes, exactly. Front foot, thats what weve been told, from a top 6 quality squad.

 

That isn't a conclusion you can sensibly reach from posts on here. We won, that isn't the issue. The issue is the dire "entertainment".

 

Again, I've looked through this entire thread and haven't seen one moan about winning. Granted, a couple have said winning was bad because they hoped a loss would have resulted in Manning's sacking - which in any case I very much doubt would have happened.

I can honestly say that game was even worse than some of the dross served up under SOD, although I suspect you probably didn't see any of that, count yourself lucky.

From what I've seen from your other posts, you are probably going to respond with an abusive/sarcastic/derogatory irrelevance. 

 

 

 

Well at least in League 1, SO’D brought on some of the youngsters, acquired Pack, Flint and Fielding, plus whatever the situation, there was always JET, just in case it was getting too boring!

1 hour ago, ashton_fan said:

The indisputable evidence was that it IS Mother's Day today and the match took place at lunchtime when most families are out together, but I should have known that only negative comments are allowed on the forum these days!

There will be a bigger crowd against Leicester because it’s Good Friday, they will bring a load and people will come out to see us play Leicester. However the last 3 home games are Blackburn midweek, Huddersfield and Rotherham. Play like we did for the first 65 minutes today, plus more bad results in between and I wouldn’t blame anyone for saying that they might have something more exciting to do instead of going to Ashton Gate!

5 minutes ago, handsofclay said:

Obviously Bristolians must love their mothers much more than Brummies. The Aston Villa v Spurs match kicked off just 30 minutes later and from pictorial evidence the stadium looked fairly packed. 

Well it did until McGinn was sent off and Villa were 3-0 down!

4th equal best defence in terms of goals conceded. 6th equal worst attack in terms of goals scored. You can see where the problems lie and it’s not at the back. We are not a front foot team as set up by Manning and we struggle to make goal-scoring chances.

3 hours ago, ciderwithtommy said:

Our best performances under manning have all come from games in which motivating the players was a formality, cup games live on tv, under the lights on tv v top sides in the league (barring Leeds who outclassed us). That makes my mind up that those results were not down to “time on the grass” at the HPC, or clever tactics, but our most talented players taking ownership and making things happen. Manning, seemingly, cannot demand/get this from them via his leadership style - makes me believe he is out of his depth. 

Having heard his press conferences would Manning inspire you?

Nope thought not and I can’t see him inspiring the players either. Instead it would seem that he overloads them with information, rather than setting up a team of players playing in their best positions and in a formation that best suits them, then encouraging them to play their natural game.

Not so much “coached” as inhibited!

I think he’s lost confidence as others have said, plus Manning is playing him in a holding role that I don’t think suits him.

With a different coach, I think he would suit playing as an attacking midfielder. If I wanted to go really radical and attacking, I would set us up as a 4-2-2-2, with Knight and TGH as the forward midfielders in front of James and Williams, with Conway and Wells as the front pair. Would definitely create more that way, but it’s not going to happen under “Mr Behaviours”.

19 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

The only thing I can think is Manning has heard that a previously highly thought of young kid, could be available at a knockdown price  ( no one say Diony ) . Otherwise why bring in a player , not ready to make an impact at a time we aren't flush with money and are a little short of bodies .

Manning heard Man City Academy Player of the Year and his head was turned. What he didn’t consider was why Man City let him leave for the Belgian league, where he then achieved a total of 3 appearances since August, his only senior football experience. Talk about taking a punt!

5 minutes ago, cidercity1987 said:

This season has been such a waste of an excellent defence. Even with an average attack we would be much higher in the league

It’s not the attack as such, it’s how we are set up tactically. No surprise Conway won’t sign a contract to stay as things stand as his current role is soul-destroying as a striker. So much running for so few chances and so little reward.

4 minutes ago, Cole Not Gas said:

Poor today and poor nearly every game since the board were persuaded to spend money on him - we all know who did that. Te same person who wanted that Wizzard from Wycombe who was going to make all the difference by being such a maverick - think those were Pearson's words. Both have failed but both played ok at Ipswich and Anis did as much or more than any other forward player today , so who knows. Next season we have bird and Stokes to come in and presumably some money for Liam so build his attacking team around Twine. As has been said many times, what LM inherited as a striking threat was so light weight. Reinforcements already lined up so August should be more entertaining.

You really think Burnley will sell us Twine when they are relegated back to this division? Think again. Either that or they will want many millions, which given what he has contributed so far, you would also have to question.

45 minutes ago, Sleepy1968 said:

He's played much better than today.

But what if he was deployed alongside TC, and Knight reverted to midfield?

Then we'd prolly need to tinker a bit and start Sykes yadda yadda yadda, but is it an impossible ask to play players in positions that utilise then properly?

 

You could say that about quite a few of our players at the moment who are being played out of position and therefore struggling. As much as the style that Manning wants to play doesn’t suit the players, you could say that is also in large part part down to the formation that he sets up. Play Cornick with Conway or play Wells with Conway. in fact plsy any striker with Conway but not Jason Knight!

15 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

You think that's how Manning wants to play the game? Seriously? His MK and Oxford sides would suggest he prefers a different style.

The relegated MK Dons team from which he was sacked mid-season must have been pretty poor too. Or was that also not how he wanted to play?!

How will the televised matches affect midweek games? Presumably shift them by a day and make it an 8pm kick off rather than 7.45. It’s messing with the Saturday afternoon routine that’s a real pain. And anyway 23 televised games is an average. So that’s Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton on 35+ televised games and whoever of Ipswich or Southampton fails to get promoted, while given even our own fans aren’t that keen on watching us right now, while Manning is here we will likely only be televised 10 times at most next season!

The only way Mannkmg leaves before next season is if Lansdown manages to sell the club. Otherwise we are lumbered with the mood hoover until at least November, because Lansdown never wants to be seen as hasty when changing managers. There is an international break from the 11-19 November next season. I can see that being the point at which he goes if current form and performances continue next season 

5 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

Well, the "we had to win in any way possible" explanation has been put to bed now. We won in whatever way you would call that today!! Job done in that sense. So on that basis his next job is to use a bit of a surge in confidence to churn out a performance to go with it next week. If we lose, we lose but at least compete, look interested, be brave and PLAY A BIT OF SODDING FOOTBALL. If Liam wants a long term future here that is what he should EXPECT to be delivering too quite honestly.

The problem is that the way Manning wants football played is the antithesis of exciting and what fans want. He doesn’t want passion or emotion, he wants control. He doesn’t prioritise the strikers or anyone else getting chances, he’s more interested in maintaining possession. It’s boring, dull and also not very effective, especially when we do have the majority of possession. Passes back and forth along our back line are never going to lead to anything other than improving the possession stats.

1 minute ago, Tim Monaghan said:

I’m guessing we will see. 

I remember when McInnes took over as a bright young manager. He at least had a far better relationship with the fans.

Steadied the ship eventually and kept us up in 2011/12. Absolutely great start to the next season (beat Palace and Cardiff in consecutive games scoring 4 goals - both got promoted that season) after some underwhelming recruitment, but by Christmas it was all going wrong, eventually he was sacked, and we were relegated at the end of the season. 

McInnes was handed a similar scenario to Pearson - cut the wage bill, sell the best players and keep us up. He couldn’t manage it.

There is going to be an absolute exodus of players in the summer (can’t blame them), but I have no confidence in Manning’s tactical awareness or management skills and not much more in Tinnion’s recruitment. Assuming we are in the Championship again next season, with Manning in charge, I see little reason to be positive.

24 minutes ago, northsomersetred said:

 

Unbelievable skill from Ronald-doh!

20 minutes ago, MarcusX said:

What did he really change though? 3 of the subs were obvious and could have probably been called before the game kicked off.

Pring for Roberts, yep we know Pring struggled Tuesday and still isn't fully 90 mins fit

Sykes for Cornick, straight forward - right winger replaces player playing on the right wing

Wells for Conway - striker replaces striker

None of it is genius is it? Half the fan base could have made those changes. Many would argue that at least one of them should have been starting.

Yep. Totally predictable substitutions. It’s football management by numbers. 

And I wonder why the atmosphere was so negative? Could it be that the football is awful and the results have been bad? After 4 straight defeats and that first half, I challenge anyone to have been positive, even the happiest and clappiest of happy clappers!

4 minutes ago, westred1 said:

Had two indirect pops at fans on Radio Bristol and the City interview… definitely losing a lot of the fan base. 

Attendance (albeit Mother’s Day) speaks for itself.

Win has well and truly papered over the cracks. Adamant Lansdown was at the game because he would have sent Manning packing if we’d lost.

Steve Lansdown was definitely there because I saw him at the beginning of the second half going to his seat.

Cracks definitely papered over with a win because the performance was mostly awful. And the atmosphere is getting more toxic because the fans watching know that it’s very poor and far worse than it was under Pearson. At least the players looked motivated then!

4 minutes ago, Bristol Rob said:

That's one of the things that really frustrates.

We were told we were going to get front foot, aggressive football.

We haven't seen it. 

We have also seen a less than full bench on occasions. Why not invite promising prospects for the U18s who did so well against Swindon to experience a 1st team preparation? 

Any results are papering over some massive gaps.

But it’s not about the results, it’s the”behaviours” that matter! 

3 minutes ago, chinapig said:

Perhaps he's had too much time on the grass?

I am going to need something stronger than that if this is how we are playing until Manning goes!

1 minute ago, Barrs Court Red said:

Let’s see how it goes.  I still chuckle at SL’s self congratulatory backslapping on Holden when he’d had a decent start, and in a similar vein I won’t completely write off Manning yet.  It’s still to early. 
 

Now, I’m relatively comfortable with my expectations here (they’re low) - and I also suspect the outcome of the Manning period won’t be a successful one.  There’s no guarantees though, it might work out and I’ll hold onto that until Nov/Dec. 

And so will Lansdown until we are in the relegation zone going into Christmas and he will be forced to make a change. There is nothing in Manning’s CV to suggest he is going to be a success at this level sticking slavishly to the “Guardiola way circa 2018”.

3 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

If we are gonna play Knight there for his pressing, then then him press.

Block, block, block, block.

Imagine having a ”derby” and letting settle into their patterns from the first minute and build confidence?

I’m not suggesting pressing rashly as individuals, but we saw last 20-mins how a bit of bravery in positioning can help turn the tide in your favour.  Last 20 was so much better.  Seemed like fun again.

 

Not quite sure I would go as far as “fun” Dave but it was a bit better. However can someone please tell Mehmeti to stop being so greedy and actually play the ball to an attacker in a better position. Ideally Manning, but as he clearly thinks Anis is far better than he really is, I have little confidence we will see any change soon.

Just now, Barrs Court Red said:

I would find that absolutely hysterical in all honesty. 
 

But I want a tilt at the top end and realistically the goons that operate this club will open the purse strings to double down on the mood hoover. This is the best route we’ve got to having a go in the short term.  

I wish I had your optimism because it clearly isn’t shared by at least 90% of the supporters. Manning is ****ing clueless and you don’t need a comparison with the previous manager to see that. Holden was equally terrible but at least to start with the football was better than the steaming pile of turd Manning is serving up on a regular basis!