The Swan and Cemetery

Would take longer to get there though… this analogy needs more stretching.

All players dropped should be instantly transfer listed, that way we’ll quickly whittle our way down to a consistent 11. Annoys me that this hasn’t been thought of before, as totally logical when you think about it… Does slightly back us into a corner for injuries or any loss of form from our starting XI/only XI, but feels like the innovative approach needed to get us out of trouble.

Definitely agree that some of the adulation is irrational (including mine). But one of the few players in my time watching City, that could, sometimes, do amazing things and that means a lot when City is your team, as not commonplace!

He went to the 86 World Cup finals with them and played in all their games, up to and including when knocked out by Brazil in the round of 16. Agree they weren’t amazing, but absolutely dog a bit harsh. Anyway, judging him purely on his City performances, in my view, miles ahead of the other two.

His BCTV interview seemed to be 4 mins of still being stunned about Semenyo not putting his laces through it in the first half, without actually saying it.

Get that in relative terms, all 3 probably failed to deliver on their talent, but in absolute terms Jacki was streets ahead of the other two. A proven international player, the other two, not so much. Even though Jacki’s best days were behind him when he got to City, at least it was tier 2 vs JET tier 3 and KP failing to deliver at all.

The song (agree, a classic) was inspired by the film.

Fantastic, these days people want penalties at half time (or first rehydration break).

Great that you’ve come ‘round to this point of view, honesty is always the best policy.

Sheff Weds vs Arsenal 1979, 4 replays, them’s the days.

Do think RCB of three is his best position and they’re starting to work out that having three allows them to cover the width of the pitch more than a few games ago. Much more likely yesterday to see Vyner or Atkinson near their touch line than we have. That allowed Scott/O’Dowda further up the pitch. When they brought Kazim Richards on that occupied our CB’s more and pushed our WBs back further. Whilst it would have been great to have got to two or three ahead, we still had a lead to defend, so made sense to drop back a bit. Don’t think we’re dropping back as far as we were earlier in the season, when it was the Alamo for half an hour. Agree with Hinsleburg that it’s Zak’s concentration that’s the biggest worry, along with a propensity to be panicked unnecessarily. That said, there was a clearance when he was last man (maybe from a corner for us?) and he relatively weakly headed it out for a thrown in around the half way line. Could he have brought it down and retained possession? Probably should have, but could have made a mess of it and they were streaming forward, so if first job is to defend, I think the right choice. One season at Championship level isn’t that long and he doesn’t look a constant liability, worth persisting with and maybe experience helps him iron out some of his weaknesses.

My memory may well be failing me, but on BCTV think they also showed an angle that was straight on to the goal and from there looked like he just dragged it wide. No corner (… from memory).

Just a bad miss (I think), but hardly the first or last striker to make a Horlicks of a good chance and generally did well. As others have said, able to come a bit deeper with Semenyo stretching them behind and he’s decent facing the opposition goal. He’s not perfect, but we’ll need to make do until doubtless we pick up Mitrovic and Solanke in January on frees.

We’ve still only ‘won’ one 2nd half this season, think this has to be linked to lack of possession meaning we run out of steam due to chasing around so much, which is linked to composure and ability to make passes (both passer and receiver) accurately and quickly. Whilst I get why Benarous was left out after Sheff Utd, him and Scott need to be the way forward, as both able to hold the ball, make a pass, milk a free kick. But overall appears as if there are 3 teams much worse than the rest, so we should be fine, feels weird that we’re closer to play offs than relegation.

Yep and look as if we’re trying to do the right things a lot of the time, just failing a bit too often. A slightly better press and significantly better passing/ball retention needed to help us avoid being out on our feet in the last 15 of every game. We had the better chances overall and should have been out of sight. Still restricted them to not much, despite some very panicked play later on, which think is fatigue as much as lack of composure.

Pointless show pony antics with Kalas, which was never a foul, let alone a booking.

But can still do Vieira bits and bobs! It’s the inconsistency that must be difficult to manage for. Rather than yo-yo between Vieira and Dinning, we need him to be consistently Rennie (Dave not Dave…).

But when some players start we do look reasonably solid (James/Williams/King), which implies that to some extent the players themselves can be responsible for shape or lack of (not sure this is astounding news). If Massengo was as good as some are alleging, then his defensive positioning would be much,- much better. The argument that he’s just so good that it’s because others aren’t on his wavelength doesn’t wash, the best players make others look better, not worse. He’s a decent player with a lot of promise, but a fair way off being ready to deliver week in week out at this level.

For me it’s nothing like the worst I’ve seen, started watching during Dicks Div 2 days and whilst vaguely depressing that the highlight of my football watching times was right at the start, there have been many worse periods than now (that lots have highlighted on this thread). Feels like recency bias to see this as being so awful compared with the past. With a few key players fit think we’re solid mid table, accepting it maybe tricky to get those players fit (at least consistently). When we’ve had King and James on the pitch, we’ve generally looked solid if unspectacular, with Williams, think we’ve looked pretty good. Interesting lesson in what’s needed in central midfield (simplistically, obvs individual ability quite important!): preferred: experience and athleticism (mid/late twenties - Williams) next best: experience (James/King) least valuable: youthful exuberance (Bakinson/Massengo - albeit get that exuberance and TB may not be synonymous) Personally would prioritise centre mid in Jan if we can afford to get anything done, as think that’s consistently the area that’s the problem when we’re awful. Back on topic, not a million miles off being average in annals of the football I’ve watched, currently poor (way too inconsistent), but nowhere near the worst.

They’re awful because they don’t create their own chances?

Think fair to say that overall last night the luck was with us, but plenty of other games when it hasn’t been. Both last night and against Blackburn it hasn’t felt as backs to the wall as earlier in the season. Stoke’s big chances were in the first half, not the dying embers of the game. Think we’ve seen enough over the last two games that’s genuine progress, as well as (last night, not against Blackburn) the rub of the green.

Fair play, whooshed me with aplomb!

Harsh. Neither are Mitrovic, but 11th and 20th highest scorers in the Championship, plus the assists.

And at risk of stating the obvious, without endless loans (which can be the right thing, just good to see a couple not need them) and straight into Championship football, which whilst not always technically stunning, is a number of light years ahead of the park kick around nonsense found in depths of League Two. Shows the academy really firing these days, fair play to all involved.

I’m going for lots of steps backwards so far this season, but slightly more forward, given the circumstances. Starting to get a tune out of players I’ll confess to having written off (Eg O’Dowda and Vyner) and introducing some exciting youngsters. And in a fair few of the games this season, despite some terrible last few minutes, we’re starting to see shape and lots of effort. That might not be all we’re aiming for, but it’s a start. Even injuries are better, we still get plenty of them, but seem to be fewer season ending types that we had in abundance last season. A light drizzling of January window activity and think we can finish in the 9th to 16th bracket and that in my view, represents decent progress.