handsofclay

This is the nub of the problem. You have both highlighted a MAJOR defect in LM's experience. Very few football managers let alone successful football managers have no career as a footballer to fall back on and earn the respect of their charges. The very few, such as Jose Mourinhio, who do succeed manage to do so by force of an incredible personality that masks that defect. Liam Manning, as we and the players have sussed, has very little to boast about in the personality stakes. I've yet to see a spouter of coaching manuals top the billing at the London Palladium.

That's ridiculous. The first part season Nigel Pearson was here his aim was to save us from relegation. The next two seasons his aim was to drastically cut our wage bill while consolidating our position in the league while utilising our academy and playing decent, fast counter attacking football which wasn't by any means spectacular. It was next season 2024-25 that his aim was to produce brilliant football and be elevated to God status. That's why the Lansdowns got rid because they only had enough room at Ashton Gate for the new basketball arena. They simply couldn't shoehorn a Temple to the Cult of Nige into the plans.

Sad news for anyone who remembers Scott Hendy the ex Mangotsfield United centre back. He has passed away aged 45 at a pub in Pilning. Head injuries and apparently someone in their 20s has been arrested.

Quite agree, it would make Manningball somewhat more palatable.

Plus, I forget when it was, I think it was under GJ, where at Forest City kicked the ball out so a player could get treated. The ref gave them the ball to kick to our keeper and they kicked it into touch near the corner flag. From the resulting throw they got the late winner!

When you wrote 'Sorry for being crap letter in the post' my heart skipped a beat. I thought you were Liam Manning for a moment.

Yes, to be fair, he did actually look like a footballer today, albeit he didn't pose any threat in the few minutes he was on. So he didn't look at all out of place in our team.

This is spot on. The majority of us felt like we were all in it together. We had a manager who treated us with respect and was honest in his assessments and made us feel a part of the processes in moving the club gradually forward. We all knew the constraints he was under and accepted setbacks as part of the journey and felt proud that so many academy lads were progressing to our first team. Indeed BT himself used that as a USP in signing promising young players to our club. But those in power evidently didn't like the fact the supporters felt a greater affinity to the club. It was, after all, their club. Not the popular manager's. So they found the appropriate moment to fire him and show us that they know better by bringing in a bright new spark who'd fire us, via the front foot, to a higher level. Instead, they have again shown themselves to be a bunch of incompetents. Manning is clearly out of his depth and is destroying all the positivity diligently created since Holden's departure.

Something I have noticed under Manning is that in most games when the ball is as it were bouncing around in our box we always seem to have a moment where a City player could put his foot through it to clear the danger, but they always hesitate and seem to want to retain possession. It then, inevitably, creates further danger, or results in the ball being presented to the opposition still in the box or just outside it. It happened yet again today. Iirc, it then led to the corner Cardiff scored from.

This makes it seem like LM was totally oblivious to the situation he inherited. I would give him enough credit to assume he would know that Pearson was reasonably popular with the fanbase and had achieved a cohesion at the club despite very trying circumstances and constraints. He would surely thus be aware of the publicly stated reason as to why he had been dismissed (not challenging for the top six). I would like to think, therefore, that even if it wasn't stated in the approach that was made to him to obtain his services as head coach here that he would have, at the very least, the intelligence to realise that the fans and his employers would be ultimately judging him on his ability to produce this outcome and that if he didn't, indeed, if his tenure seen City's position slide even further from the play offs that his job could well be in jeopardy.

Basso player here coach there.

I remember it very different. I was also in the East End that day and when Bowles went down in agony, the East End started singing 'We hope you broke your leg'. I recall it vividly because earlier in the same match the East End were singing 'Where's your wife gone, where's your wife gone, where's your wife gone Stanley Bowles?' After it had been reported in the week his wife had walked out on him. They sang this again as he went towards the East End for a QPR corner and Bowles put his hands out and shrugged his shoulders to comically reply that he hadn't a clue. It produced loads of laughter and an even healthier respect for Bowles. Which is why it hit me as particularly mean and stuck vividly in my memory when much later in the game the East End started singing that they hoped he had broken his leg!

There were a couple of times he was in the running to become boss here. RIP

To be fair to those who want Pearson back I don't think any of them realistically think this will happen. I would love him to return but I know it will not happen. But it doesn't mean those who appreciate the stirling work he did for the club cannot articulate the wish he could return even if it's really just voicing frustration at the b***s up the Lansdowns and Tinnion made in dismissing a largely popular manager. Also, to those who deride Pearson and don't understand why lots of supporters are clamouring for Manning to be dismissed early can I just remind them of the circumstances of Pearson's sacking. After losing a close game at home to high flying Ipswich and then away to Cardiff with the barest of bones as far as a playing squad was concerned, NP was dismissed with games against Sheffield Wednesday and QPR up next. It was the general consensus at the time that the Lansdowns acted then because City were expected to get points from those games and that would've further stalled their intention of sacking Pearson. We have to remember this is the same QPR and Sheffield Wednesday that half a season on under the Coach NP was replaced with we have now lost to in consecutive matches!!!

Eddie Hapgood

Fair play to you lad. I would like to think I speak for all of us when I say that we are more concerned about your well being, that of a fellow red, than missing out on Alfie Jones.

Fans wouldn't be allowed on the roof of a stand these days. A health and safety law brought in when it was realised that Nakhi Wells would take free kicks.

I fear that even Ivan Testemitanu's wife would fail to get a tune out of him.

No I am sure it was Testemitanu's.

That was Tony Pulis checking the aerial route to goal.

If he has got anything about him he will be itching to get back on the pitch and show that his performance on Saturday was a million miles from what he is capable of. But if he shirks that challenge, or when presented with the opportunity again does another impression of someone who has only just been introduced to a football for the first time, then I am afraid non league obscurity beckons. I sincerely hope he can turn things around but I am concerned that he has played so little senior football. When Yeboah comes on he looks like he is relishing the opportunity. Mebude looked like a rabbit caught in the headlamps. If he doesn't get that part of his game right all the skills, pace and promise in the world will be of no benefit.

I agree with you about Yeboah, the jury is still out for him as far as I am concerned. A bit of a headless chicken, but a headless chicken who frightens the opposition somewhat. This lad looked way out of his depth. No way would Yeboah's path have been blocked by a loan signing of a novice under Pearson, and especially one that clearly doesn't look like he's ready for men's football.

Twine didn't get injured during his appearance on the bench.

You'll be lucky, first couple of months of 1974 we had the 3 day week and power cuts. The fact Leeds v City was played on a Tuesday afternoon rather than evening is evidence of the need to save electricity prevalent at the time.

I think as much as possible football chat shouldn't be placed into sections. Years ago I was also on the Mangotsfield United forum when they were doing well in the Southern League. Initially, all chat was included on there and it thrived helped as well by visiting views and opinions from supporters of other clubs such as Gloucester City, Clevedon and Yate Town. However, sub forums started springing up. Non sports, then other sports other than football etc etc. We know how a thread can meander before returning to the original subject well Jenson Button's name cropped up somehow in a thread about Mangotsfield United. I responded to it and a healthy debate ensued regarding whether it was the car he was driving that had won him the title or his skill or a combination of both. I was reprimanded as I was told it should be in the other sports sub forum. Another occasion The Netherlands were mentioned as having played well in the opening game of the 2004 Euros...the poster was reprimanded for not putting it into the non Mangotsfield United football forum and it was about to be until the original poster added to the thread saying that he hoped Mangotsfield United will be playing such skilled football as the Netherlands under their new manager next season! Gradually what had been a lively forum became stale as it was like one had to be in the right place to say something whereas before one could just chat with like minded supporters. After all, at grounds when we chat there's nobody looking over our shoulders telling us to move to another part of the ground designated for Non Bristol City Chat on Cinema Releases. The Mangotsfield United forum eventually died. Having said that, the Bristol City fanbase is huge by comparison so of course sub fora are required. I am 100% in favour of that, it makes sense. However, I think as much as possible the topic of football itself shouldn't be divided into different sub fora. I can understand the need for Transfer Talk to have it's own forum but it should stop there. Otherwise, as has happened with the ex players forum, other fora will follow: Bristol City Obituaries, Bristol City Away Match Supporters News, Bristol City Finances Forum, Bristol City In The Arts Forum etc, etc. It will dilute what has been a lively forum and instead of being a delight to peruse will become a chore. Plus if one composed a post about a City supporting mate who had just passed away, owning a couple of grands worth of shares in the club so who will now buy them? And he was well known for the poems he wrote about his favourite club, particularly the brilliant one about the ex City player now with Dundee United, plus due to departing this life there are now two tickets available for the visit to Sunderland on Saturday. One would be at a complete loss as to which forum it should be posted on!!! I have every sympathy for the mods they are doing a great job hence why I suggest to keep the sub fora down to a minimum on the topic of football as it will actually make their lives easier.