Dr Balls

7 minutes ago, Leabrook said:

Or they know a fair bit more than you about it. There are a lot of teams below us which is a big factor in the odds and 52 points will be enough this season looking at the table. Do you think all the bookies have got this wrong independently?   As Smith says, have a flutter if you are so sure 

What I also know about bookies is that they pitch their odds to get punters to flutter. Until now few people would have betted on us finishing in the bottom three at the end of the season. However if there is a rush of people tomorrow betting on City getting relegated those odds would rapidly start to fall even though the situation might not be any different. Bookies hate losing money and if they see that sentiment is going a particular way they will quickly follow. I would expect those odds to be significantly lower by the time we face Leicester at the end of the month. And if any of them had actually watched us play or looked deeper into our issues then they might be pitching the odds a lot lower than 66/1.

There is a common theme going on in the Championship with the vogue being for young head coaches being brought in to achieve success, based on what Rob Edwards did with Luton and McKenna had been achieving with Ipswich. The difference is as that both of those had actually achieved promotions at a lower level, unlike most of the other young coaches brought in who have achieved nothing tangible in most cases, just maybe a run of good results. It’s bombed at Birmingham with Rooney. It’s bombed at Sunderland with Beale. And it’s bombing with Manning here. Yet some owners seem to think it’s some guarantee of success to go for the next “bright young coach” rather than stick with an experienced manager who was doing ok in the circumstances.

5 minutes ago, kiwicolin said:

But 99% of the time they won't be successful. 

I don’t know how you come to that figure of 99%. Remember today’s opponents have been promoted to the Premier League twice in less time than SL has owned us. With an owner from Malaysia. Leicester got promoted and won the Premier League under Thai ownership, while pretty much all of the top Premier League teams are now owned by foreigners.

But down ‘ere in the sleepy West Country, ooh arr ohh arr, fans are instead happy with the local billionaire proving that despite being a financial whizz, he knows nothing much about football and how to get success because at least he’s a local who understands how us bumpkins might not be able to cope with the excitement and expectations of actually being successful as a club.

I would say that last sentence is a complete and utter fantasy, born out by the frustration shown at the end of today’s game, but that’s what you seem to be suggesting!. 

Just now, Numero Uno said:

It’s been poor for far too long now. I’m finding there are more and more games which I lose interest in after 20 minutes. Today took it to a new level. I’m getting fed up with Bore Ball already tbh. The hierarchy had better get to grips with the standard on offer quickly. In terms of vfm my season ticket ain’t worth £100.

It would seem a lot of ST holders in the South Stand already agree with you as they don’t even bother to come at all any more!

3 minutes ago, kiwicolin said:

So if Steve Lansdown sells the club to someone that has no connection to city. They spend loads of money,  to get us to the Premier league,  then you would renew?

False equivalence. The owner could be a purple alien but if they got us promotion to the Premier League then where they came from would be a complete irrelevance. And the reality is that most football fans will also look past the morals or origin of their wealth, if the owners make them successful. You and I might not like that but I think we might be in a small minority.

1 minute ago, Numero Uno said:

I shall renew. The lure of watching paint dry is something I can’t resist.

Watching paint dry is more exciting than Manning-ball. Entertainment not included at AG, not even as an optional extra!

9 minutes ago, And Its Smith said:

All these people worrying about relegation for attention. 66/1. If you think it’s possible then lump on!

Just goes to show that the bookies know less about Championship football than you might think. Those are incredibly long odds for a team that is 6 points above the relegation zone and only taken 8 points from the last 10 games. Continue that forward and we get to 52 points, which hasn’t always been enough to guarantee survival, especially as a number of the clubs below us are in significantly better form or have made changes that might improve their form. 

1 hour ago, Shauntaylor85 said:

It was an obvious decision, why oh why didn’t they think of it. 

 

I’m not sure about this. Would that actually suit Nige and his skill set? My impression was that he was a manager who wanted to work with coaches, but still pick the team and tactics himself. What he needed was to work with an experienced CEO and be given some funds to replace Scott. A Director of Football would probably be too removed from the frontline for Nige.

1 minute ago, Superjack said:

This is correct. 

 

Unfortunately they won't fire the mood hoover (love that!) even if we are relegated. 

I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see us in League Two before long.

I’m not that pessimistic but I do fear relegation to League 1 because I think that getting out of it is particularly hard and usually takes a number of years. If’s not like the relegated clubs from the Premier League hogging the promotion spots in the Championship.

6 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Yeah the reaction at the end was one I haven't seen at AG for some time.

Felt the culmination of months of frustration- partially due to results and performances but also the narrative since November, the needlessness of it all and perhaps the fracturing of fan and club unity.

At the end you could just feel how negative and angry it was in the stadium, and it wasn’t just about losing a derby against Cardiff. If JL and BT didn’t pick up on that they would have to be deaf, blind and dumb. But then given some of their decisions, that description of them could be completely correct!

3 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

I believe:

Beale, Edwards, Rooney

Are all available and out of work, within recent months. As is..

Please don’t joke. We all know that given a chance SL would reappoint him in a flash…

I’m afraid not. We will likely lose by a few goals to Ipswich but that won’t make any difference to the Lansdowns. I’m not even sure a loss to Swansea and a 5 game losing streak would get them to see sense and sack Manning. Plus my other worry is even if they did sack him who would they bring in to replace Manning anyway? As we know their record does not inspire confidence!

Since Manning arrived both Tommy Conway and Nakhi Wells are surely the ones for “Blankety Blank”.

And if we broaden out from quizzes, Tinnion must be a shoe-in for “Shameless”

4 minutes ago, Shauntaylor85 said:

Tinnion said a couple of weeks ago crowds are on the up. Absolute rubbish, crowds will be below 17K in league one. 

Not for next year they won’t be. Not seen that level of anger at the end of today’s match for a long time at AG, even when we have got rid of previous  managers. It’s not just that we are losing at home regularly, it’s the way we are losing. The football is boring, turgid bilge. Less front foot football as shot ourselves in the foot football!

Hard to find positives in this:

https://thefishy.co.uk/formtable.php?table=2&tab=tab-last10
 

So that’s 2 wins, 2 draws and 6 defeats in the past 10 games. The only upside is that our goal difference is only -4 in those games. However we have only scored 9 goals and 7 of those came in 3 games against Coventry, Middlesbrough and Southampton.

Hard to suggest that what Manning is doing is working based on that!

Being serious for a moment, Gary Rowett to the end of the season anyone? At least he knows this division and can’t possibly be any worse than an out of his depth Manning.

41 minutes ago, Rich_s said:

Hate to depress you  further but realistically Manning will be here at least until Christmas. No way will the club lose face but if things are looking shite by Christmas/New Year then he'll be gone. 

I think that really depends on what happens in the next 11 games. Even the Lansdown regime couldn’t keep on a manager who oversaw a relegation after 2/3 of the season in charge. There might actually be a reaction from the fans more than just the usual griping on here were that to happen.

2 minutes ago, Top Robin said:

Yes it was poor, but even amongst the numerous negatives there are aways some positives, and they are:

 - We were not outplayed and looked fairly solid in midfield and defensively 

- We restricted them to a couple of chances (yes they scored from one)

- They scored against the run of play

- If we can improve things in the final third, we will be much better

- we have some decent players waiting to come back who should really improve things.

 

We conceded from a corner, when we should have known that was Cardiff’s biggest threat.

we create nothing for our forwards, and we don’t score from open play.

They didn’t need to outplay us to beat us at home.

I could go on…

Just now, The Original OTIB said:

Was for BCFCGav, but thanks anyway!

Unfortunatelly I don’t think that Manning will do as I suggest. It will be all about the process, irrespective of the fact that his process isn’t working.

4 minutes ago, The Original OTIB said:

How do we set up against Ipswich and who plays (if available)? What should the plan be based on the last 3 games and what have they told us?

That we need to defend well, not look to have too much possession, and play quickly on the counter attack. Oh and if we are losing not be scared to play 2 proper strikers upfront so that they can play off each other. In other words play like we did under Nige, especially away from home.

2 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

The reaction at the end..

Quite hostile IMO.

TBF and to give him his due Joe Williams got it as he held his hands up to Section 82. A lot of supporters just left, but there was a lot of hostility from those of us left. And unfortunately deserved as well, because that was an awful display. 

5 minutes ago, italian dave said:

Those problems can be overcome though. And as @Spike has said, the Sporting Quarter will - alongside the stadium - really embed the physical embodiment of his legacy.

It would but it’s looking a number of years off now, because of the delays at Ashton Vale. And anyway who wants to buy a League 1 men’s football team and a women’s team in the 2nd tier, irrespective of the stadium and surroundings? Seriously no one is going to pay SL’s asking price unless the men’s team make it to the Premier League and that looks further away than ever.

8 minutes ago, Tinmans Love Child said:

Mad that if Stoke win their next 2 and we lose our next 2 we will be level on points with a team currently 3rd bottom!

But the problem is that by this time next Sunday we could be only 3 points or less off 22nd, as I really can’t see us getting a result any time soon playing this Manning dirge-ball. We are dire, devoid of confidence and offering no attacking threat. And opposition managers and teams know that!

15 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

One more league start would seem an odd trigger.

It would be his 33rd league game.

38th overall game.

Not impossible, but odd for those numbers to be the trigger for a years option.

It might be if he starts 3/4 of all games in a season that triggers the clause.

19 minutes ago, 38MC said:

Even if another appearance triggered an entitlement to a new contract I’m pretty damned sure Matty James would say ‘don’t worry guys, I’ll go and be a free agent, get a signing on fee and get the hell away from this car crash that you’ve created for yourselves’ 

Absolutely. “Thanks but no thanks, I have seen what you did my old gaffer.”  And there are other clubs in this division who would pick him up for at least a season.

1 minute ago, Peter O Hanraha-hanrahan said:

Don’t mean to be a big ol worrypants and bring everyone down but 3 games ago we were 15 points clear of the bottom 3.

 

That’s what happens when you are mid table in the Championship and lose 3 on the bounce. What’s just as worrying is that we have some of the worst form in the division in 2024. Keep playing the same way we did today and there is no reason to think that’s going to change. Manning is way out of his depth and we can only hope for a couple of fluky results to get us to safety.