cidered abroad

So being top over the last five means that one should expect a performance with more confidence against a struggling side like Huddersfield. So how did we manage to give us supporters, one of the most awful displays that I've seen in a long time? Backwards and sideways all the time. Boring and not the least bit entertaining.

Is Manning coaching the under 21's now?

Well if he was, perhaps he realises that a significant number of us are sick fed up with the backwards and sideways game plan that is so boring. And if that is the only method that Manning can coach into the squad, we all might as well go up the Downs on a Saturday afternoon for our weekly fix!

Complete agreement.

Agreed, very good.

I have supported City since 1950 and to the best of my memory, I have only left early in all of that time. It was against Sunderland about forty years ago, losing 0-6 in a League Cup game. I'd been working that day from 9 am on the West Country and lived in Shrewsbury, so I left five minutes early to get going before most of the traffic. As I've said elsewhere that performance today was abysmal. I don't blame the players but Manning's totally negative tactics are awful. I'm pleased we drew but I couldn't face any more and am coming to the conclusion that if he stays here, it won't get any better.

This is nothing to do with the players. It's the tactics that they are told to play. The "BACKWARDS AND SIDEWAYS" style of play is pathetic. I don't like to see us lose but I want City to at least have a go at the other side. When our goalkeeper gets more passes than our attackers, it means that our tactics are negative and will never be the way to make progress and win matches. And don't forget that we were not playing against a Real Madrid, Man City or Liverpool. This was one of the teams that are destined for relegation. So this match has confirmed that while Manning is still here, BCFC can stick their season ticket where a monkey stores his nuts. After early sixty years of season ticket, I've had enough.

I understand what you are showing but to get our most expensive signings from all time must take account of financial inflation since. Best examples I can think of without doing all the maths to prove it would be:- Paul Cheesley at £30,000 John Galley, can't remember what his fee was but if around £20,000 what a reward we got. And Tommy Burden, signed from Leeds when he was their captain, for £3,500. We got about nine seasons for a class midfielder. In short it is not what you pay but what you get for the cost.

I'm pleased that Argyle stuck it up Leicester.

I listened to football on radio when a little boy and I know it may sound weird to many of you younger ones, but, so long as the commentator is good, it's good to listen. And also if the co commentator is someone like Gary Owers, one gets a rounded view of the game.

I've read a lot of this thread and for someone who has never even thought of having Sky, I can't understand what this means. Perhaps someone can put me right. No radio commentary on Radio Bristol for home and away? No TV on Robins TV for some away matches? An unspecified number of home matches will not be 15.00 Saturday kick off?

Bradford City?

There are too many championship clubs with initials BCFC. One of them should be demoted this season and never allowed to return! My first away match as a seven year old, for City in an FA Cup game at St Andrews. We lost and I've never forgiven them as they are a total jinx to us. Why we let them off the hook in 2017, I'll never know. So please to the football gods, at least give me one season without them beating us.

What are the odds on the first match of next season will be away at BRFC (Lancashire)? When they get their revenge!

Oh my dear! We are undefeated for four games and also haven't conceded a goal. Football among several other team sports is so exasperating because the "better" team doesn't always win. With eleven a side on the pitch, all players able to make very minor mistakes, it is not as predictable as games like tennis or golf where the best usually win. I'm not yet convinced about Manning. Will he be the first one since Alan Dicks to get us to the top tier? Well a lot of us were not madly in love with AD for several years after he arrived as a complete novice manager. As we're only about six months into Mannings tenancy, it's difficult to form a solid opinion. So ,while I don't expect miracles as there are 23 other managers/head coaches to beat us up, I'll give my support yet again next season. PS. I remember one of AD's early matches when he subbed one favourite for a less thought of player. The crowd screamed abuse at him and five minutes later the sub scored the winning goal. Football is so unpredictable!

I'll second that and add John Atyeo. My Dad saw Wedlock play on a few occasions and couldn't praise him enough. And he also, with me, saw the beginning and end, with hundreds of matches in between, of the great man's career. If it is limited to current players, it has to be Alex Scott. Or what about the one that was never given a chance here yet will be facing us tomorrow evening? Szmodic.

@Abraham Romanovich thanks for that info. How are you doing? No see you for some time. You know that was my second visit to WHL as you'll remember I saw your first European Cup first home game when you hammered Gornic (Polish team) 8-1. I never told you about the second time I saw a live Spurs game. The freezing winter of 1963 at Highbury. Can't remember much about the match played on an ice rink. Young kids at the front of the terracing throwing snowballs at the coppers. No arrests as there would be now, the plod just threw them back at the boys. Every hit either way got a big cheer from the crowd.

Joe was the Spurs right back in their FA Cup game against City at White Hart Lane. In 1967. The game for which we had five special trains direct to the station just down the road from the ground. The game when we messed up a twice taken penalty, the ref was going to send Spurs defender Dave Mackay until City's Quigley pleaded with the ref not to do it. And guess who scored the two Spurs goals? Answers on a postcard please. A great day out with a wrong ending but well worth it with 54,000 in the ground, one of the biggest gates to see a City match. RIP Joe.

You went earlier than 1967 if you saw Big John play as he retired at end of season 1965/66. Rooks arrived here in summer of 1969 and left at end of 71/72.

He followed Jack Connor in the side and was a big help to the AD Young Ones like Geoff Merrick. Only here for three seasons but one of those who helped to turn us from a perpetual fighter against the drop and pushed us up the table for the 1976 promotion. RIP Dickie and condolences to his family.

RIP City supporter. Commiserations to her family and friends.

I'm not in any doubt. Poor manager! He may be a good coach who can teach players to learn about moves and the technical side of football. But one needs to be a manager who can organise a team to cope with all of the changes in tactics/personnel etc that opponents throw at us during a match. IMO, Manning is unable to manage a team when the opponents and their manager, change tactics several times during the ninety minutes.

I would.

I would normally, at this time of the season with us safe in mid table, agree with your last sentence. But I believe that what many of us see now and in the coming weeks will decide whether we renew or not. At present I'm not sure I can put up with this sort of dross again next season. How many others are the same?

I completely agree that what he has spent on all the clubs is trivial for him over 25 years and amounts to approx £10 million per year. That is or was approximately 2/5ths of his income from his H&L shares. So no breaking into the £2 billion lump. The only time he spent significantly was when his son's idol was the City manager and an aptly named CEO, was probably fiddling a small fortune into his own personal bank account. Just like he did later at the Tractor company until one of their owners put a stop to it.