Colombo Robin

Need Tongue in the groove

Huge toss this morning.

Anyway, back to the cricket. Hoping for some bazball on steroids! Should be fun, or a massive disaster

1 hour ago, Super said:

Why is Robinson getting so much stick? Jeez the Aussies have been doing this for years!

You did it to me so i can do it to you is an argument my 10 yr old is already growing out of. 

Im all for a bit of agro and sledging but what Robinson did yesterday was just embarrassing , and his comments in the media afterwards even more so. 

1 hour ago, Bcfcshags said:

Sorry guys, currently on holiday & completely missed what’s been said and I can’t be arsed to read back through… THE ROOF IS OPEN 

Could you focus on your duties here, please? Selfish

1 hour ago, southside said:

Or reverse Dutch steamboat?

Christ. Probably shouldn't have googled that one on the work laptop

8 minutes ago, Agard Days Night said:

It’s almost like nobody really knows…

Bit of ITK envy? If it helps, most of us on here haven't a clue either. Some obviously do though. 

I like the sound of this one. Things are taking shape nicely and i feel yet another exciting false dawn brewing. 

3 minutes ago, Lew-T said:

Not sure about that love island reference…

Cringey

20 minutes ago, westonred said:

If we were signing Phillip Schofield the media team could headline it "Fiddler on the Roof " 

Rumour or suggestion?

2 minutes ago, Cornacix the Druid said:

There's some funny buggers on here, ain't there?

Glad you enjoyed it

43 minutes ago, Jacki said:

That second one looked more of a pen than the one that was given. Absolute joke

 Don't really care which pen he uses, just happy he's signed. What was wrong with his first one?

On 19/05/2023 at 17:20, Davefevs said:

I’m aiming my comments at the general ”thoughts” behind some posts, not the individuals.

I do think we have to stop thinking “how does x fit into our best eleven” and think more “how would player x strengthen / compliment what we have”.  Did anyone really see Zak Vyner starting 45 league games, or Kal Naismith and Rob Atkinson only 48 between them because of injuries (in the main).  Cam Pring didn’t start a game until the 29th October.  He started 29 games…9 of them at LCB in a back 4, 4 of them at LCB3 in a back 3.  He only started 11 games at LB last season….the remaining 5 were LWB.

So, firstly, we need more than eleven players to get through 11 lots of 46 games.  FWIW, only Swansea (24) and Millwall (26) used less players last season than us…we still used 28.  Take away Low (1) and Kadji’s (2) appearances, it’s still 26 players.  So even though Nige won’t collect players you need a critical mass to get you through.

Lets not forget that the FA Cup run probably tipped us over the edge of players maybe being pushed 1 or 2 games too far.

Only 4 players “appeared” 40+ times last season.  Zak Vyner (45 starts), Alex Scott (40 starts), Andi Weimann (31 starts), Nahki Wells (32 starts).  That’s a helluva lot (358) starting slots to share around.

So that’s the squad vs best xi argument from my perspective.

Secondly, with the impressive form of Cam Pring, it’s highly unlikely Joe Bryan is being signed (on what is likely to be near the top of our wage structure) to play second fiddle / cover.  It stands to reason he is being signed to play somewhere else.  I’d be amazed if Cam isn’t seen at de facto LB from a summer planning perspective.

So what are the likely options for Joe:

- in a more conventional midfield role, e.g. LCM3

- more advanced, e.g. LW / LF3 (which is where he started his career)

- plus giving cover for Pring, should he get injured, suspended, sold (maybe not this summer, but we need to plan further ahead than one window)

FWIW, I think his best football in a City shirt came playing LW in 17/18.  I also think he was great example of the modern day Wing-back too.  We don’t play WBs, nor do I see us moving back to it either, so scratch that reason.  But the other position he played a small number of times and looked “at home” in was central midfield.  I recall Villa (h) and Wolves (a) in particular.  Imho he’s just a good, intelligent footballer.  The other stuff re Bristol-born, ex-player, nice chap etc are lovely additions, but it’s him as a footballer I’m excited by.

So that’s how I see Joe Bryan fitting into this “whole team”, and by whole team I mean squad. I assume you did too, and not 11 starting places?

I honestly don’t worry about the lack of games in the last two seasons, those were at a higher level than we are at.  And even the season before that, his availability was good…just Antonee Robinson was better.  My thought process is that will drive his hunger, but that’s me putting my slant on it, so can be disregarded to an extent, it’s an unknown to suit my argument.

Dunno whether that helps, or just doubles down for you?

condensed view of mine above

I think you have to look at why, not just black and white numbers.  I think there is a tendency to look at appearances and draw conclusion of “lack of availability”.  As above, I’d suggest Antonee Robinson was the main reason.  He appeared in 34/38 match day squads in the PL in 20/21, 27 last season in the champ, etc.. yep, he’s had a few injuries.  Concerns are fine, assertions are a different matter.  There is some balance to be had in the debate though.  That’s what is happening.

That’s why my mantra is it’s a squad game.  Lack of depth is (probably) the biggest reason we didn’t finish higher.

Personally, I'd like to see a little more background research to support your position on this

40 minutes ago, One Team said:

I’ve just seen this from Spurs, refunding fans after their performance and result at Newcastle. 

It was awful, clearly, but surely watching a shit game and woeful performance now and then is part and parcel of supporting your team home and away. Isn’t that part of what makes the great games and great results great; that from time to time we endure absolute rubbish?

Certainly we’ve had enough woeful performances over the years, and I do recall refunds of CATS travel costs once or twice, but I’m not sure how this sits with me. 

Isn’t the better gesture from your team’s players is to apologise, move on and then put in a performance in the very next game?

Think we are all due a few refunds over the years. Could pay off my mortgage!

7 hours ago, Davefevs said:

This is a list of all academy players yet to appear in the first team (inc Pre-Season).

…at least the ones I know of / have read about.

Callum Hewlett is I believe Matt’s son.

Hoping Ephraim Osel is Tony's son/clone!!

7 hours ago, Robbored said:

I got banned for my outspoken political views Henry, nothing whatsoever to with racism or any other PC issue.

In Islam women are seen as less important than men - hence the headscarf, face veil. In some Islamic countries women are not allowed to drive and in Afghanistan not allowed to receive education.

These are facts Henry - nothing racist whatsoever, just facts.

Also a fact that most Muslims oppose repressive Taliban policies towards women, but you chose to leave that bit out.  

Interesting choice of profile pic by the way, you dirty 'ole bugger

2 minutes ago, Jim Davey said:

Why when he is stating something that is probably true.

Why when he is stating something that is probably true.

And perhaps you should stick to presenting Big Break!

27 minutes ago, Red Cloud said:

puzzled me as well @Robbored, the same Taliban that has just banned all females from education after promising they wouldn't

I think the point is that the Taliban don't represent the views of all Muslims. A tiny fraction in fact. @Robbored has once again had a 'mare here

30 minutes ago, Fordy62 said:

I think we’re all missing the bigger picture here, how do you fail to head butt someone?

Haha. Was having the exact same thought myself. A swing and a miss of the noggin is a tricky one to picture. In my imagination the momentum either topples the guy over or he somehow headbutts himself in the gonads

5 minutes ago, trickytimes said:

 

I think he scored 1 goal in a win at Oldham (live on TV)  but was left out of the next game for the slow Sean McCarthy. Was miffed and went off to play for Grenada. Given his career after that not a great decision by John Ward.

That was it. I remember watching it live thinking we've found some player here. Then he left

12 minutes ago, DaveF said:

Wycombe away as a sub? I think I remember being there but was a long time ago.

Think he scored if i remember rightly. 

13 minutes ago, Percy Pig said:

"It's his job"-  said with sincerity

"It's their job"- said sarcastically 

 

I do enjoy it when people use an argument and then use the same argument to counter their own. Good stuff. 

 

I can explain the point im making more simply for you as you seem a bit lost...

One kid thrown in at the deepend trying to do their job: must be protected if they underperform. 

Another kid thrown in at the deep end trying to do their job: worthy of criticism if they underperform.

I'll leave it there

8 hours ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

So everyone, everywhere, doing every job, has to handle being asked dumbass questions the way you do? Yeah, because everyone's the same, right? Does everyone have the patience of a saint, like you Colombo? 

"Just one more thing"...

If Pearson's blind spot (he admitted last week "we all have them") is how he handles questions from piss poor journalists - ie brusquely - but in return he transforms our under performing club into a serious, fit for purpose outfit, I'll take that all day long. And the piss poor journalists will have to man up, as will those taking offence on their behalf. Boofekinhoo. 

You are all right. I've spent my life a big wokey softy. Time to toughen up. From now on I will boo any youth academy debutant who doesn't beat the first man from a corner. Its their job after all to take good corners. Oh no hang on, thats not allowed because they are, like the journalists posing poor questions, young and inexperienced. Big Nige told us to be patient with the young players. I guess i'll stay wokey then and keep quiet when the younguns underperform

3 minutes ago, Barrs Court Red said:

Why? These non-entities really aren’t worthy of any sort of grace.  They probably get more exposure on this forum than views of their actual articles. 

"Aren't worthy" haha. Was the question really that bad??

9 minutes ago, Percy Pig said:

Imagine how you'd feel knowing wvery Thursday you have to listen to those dweebs asking you terrible questions.

Prickly? I'd probably be violent after the 3rd week. 

He's paid very handsomely and doing the press rounds is part of the job. Like to think i'd show a bit more grace. 

I get asked dumb questions at work all the time! 

1 hour ago, Percy Pig said:

 

 

Still an unnecessarily prickly bastard at times

7 minutes ago, Wanderingred said:

I felt like this in early September after 13 points from 5 games catapulted us up to fourth and we had that lovely away win at Blackburn, probably our best performance under NP. Then we were garbage for a few months. Will this time be different ?

Exactly! Each time we go on a good run I tell myself this time feels different, something great is brewing. And then the bad run kicks in. 

This time feels different though!  Haha