FNQ

2 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

But some leeway with slightly makeshift back-4.

It’s Liam’s choice though Dave.. if young JKL can’t get a start today at home against relegation threatened Huddersfield with Zac, Dickie and Atkinson unavailable then when can he?

1 minute ago, Davefevs said:

Coventry?

.. It’s still a bit early for me here Dave… I saw Kasey Palmers name and jumped straight on to it.. back to bed for me. 
 

Thanks for taking it relatively easy on me… you could have given me a good lashing for that one

Good work JB… I remember the first game back in December and was reading through your MDT to see if it was as bad as I recall… and it was.

Surely we’ll be better this time, 2-0 to us.

 Need to add Jay Dasilva and our old legend Louis Carey to the list of players for both clubs.

See attached topic posted by JB on the eve of our ‘upturn’ in form. It appears that pretty much no one saw the upturn coming.
 

WSM Seagull didn’t even post on this topic by the way, but neither did any of the posters who are now proclaiming to have been right about the change in manager all along… where was the confidence for the future? It’s fair to say that pretty much across the forum that as JB’s post shows there was little optimism.

So what’s changed? We played well against Leicester and although we had our chances, we could easily have lost if it were not for Max playing out of his skin and Vardy going completely missing. We were in my opinion good value for our win against Plymouth… but the game against Sunderland was beyond awful, again thank heavens for Max. The game against Blackburn was a bit surreal.. we played well scoring 5 unanswered goals but honestly we’d all agree that Blackburn were rubbish.

So yes, results have improved so optimism obviously rises, but it’s too early to be thinking that LM is now the new messiah.. so far there’s been a lot more bad than good during his tenure.

As DaveFevs says, let’s see what the next few games bring, but as good as our 5-0 win was, that Sunderland performance was only a few days earlier.

Max

Dickie

James

Zac

Sykes

Well there it is, performance and result.. Brilliant.

To be honest though, watching Blackburn has been like watching us as of late.

Can only play against what is in front of you though and we’ve done a good job so far..

5 minutes ago, pillred said:

I have been a bit underwhelmed, but there has been a long history in football of managers being criticised by fans, then said fans had to eat humble pie as things came good, most posters were saying if only Pearson had been given a little more time things would have turned around, yet here you and a lot of other posters are having a go at a manager who has been here a lot less time, let's be patient and if things have not improved after say another half a season then have a go at him, by the way exactly what did you expect from him in such a short space of time? the personnel is not that different from when NP was here and we weren't exactly getting results then were we?

We’ll just be going over old ground if you get me started.. so why don't you tell me why you’ve been a bit underwhelmed?

5 minutes ago, pillred said:

Do you give him any credit for some of the more decent performances though? as you appear to be a bit one-sided.

Well actually I thought the 4-1 win away to Watford last year was brilliant, outstanding really. I honestly thought we would then kick on and challenge strongly for the rest of the season. We obviously didn’t. Before that Watford away game and since then, apart from Southampton and perhaps Ipswich away it’s been pretty ordinary at best, surely you’d agree? Also felt that both the Southampton and Ipswich games were an abandonment of Manningball. Remember our Manningball game at home to Leeds? He should have gone there and then really. 

1 minute ago, TDarwall said:

The fact is for some people Manning has a mountain to climb & whatever he says will be picked to death.

A few weeks back folk were bemoaning a more passionate manager like Cotts. However if you looked at this forum after Cotts early games in charge, when things weren't great, there was little praise for his post match interviews & mocking him for sounding deranged!

I very rarely listen to pre/post match pressers but I do find it odd if someone really dislikes someone's communication style why they invest so much time listening to it just to say how rubbish it is.

I come back to the same thing, if Manning gets us promoted next season with about 40 dull as dishwater 1-0 wins, he'll be able to conduct his press activity through the mediums of modern dance & mime & will largely be lauded as a genius.  2 rules of football, 1) results are everything, 2) never forget rule #1.

I give you Millwall (h), QPR (h), Cardiff (h).. and you’re right, it’s hard to forget.

1 minute ago, mozo said:

Well he did actually say that if it wasn't for Max we wouldn't have drawn in the weekend  

You're free to criticise him, but he really doesn't come across as arrogant and is frequently giving the players credit. 

Well worth both entitled to an opinion.. personally I’m fed up with him telling us how he is teaching our players how to play the game, and how they are or are not grasping his behavioural requirements.. it’s nonsense. Let’s see if we can keep another three clean sheets and turn in a couple of decent performances over the next few games. He’s bluffing..

4 hours ago, mozo said:

Definitely sounds like a powerful foreign striker is the target.

Ha ha of course it is..  supporters who have not yet renewed their season tickets are the real target..

Liam Manning vs John Eustace on Weds… should be interesting. LM inherited a team on the up six months ago, JE inherited a team in the doldrums early in Feb. You’d think that LM’s advantage of having more time on the grass, coupled with a better side on paper playing at home should be able to both put on a performance and win this one, however JE is a more experienced coach who has his team playing well in recent games. It’ll be interesting to see how the game plays out, Blackburn definitely will be and we definitely should be on the front foot and trying to win this one.

PS. The game earlier this season at their place was diabolical and we lost 2-1. LM was in charge for us on the day although JE was not there as he had not long been given the arse from Birmingham to allow Wayne Rooney to take over. Arguably the second most ridiculous change in manager for the season.

20 minutes ago, Sir Geoff said:

Don't think Wednesday will be any different. Blackburn were happy with a 0-0 away point yesterday. I guess they will be happy with the same scoreline on Wednesday.

 

Not so sure SG.. they scored 5 away at Sunderland last week and 0-0 vs Southampton yesterday was a good result, John Eustace has them playing well. They'll be looking to win this one and Szmodic will be looking to add to his seasons tally for sure, and we can’t keep hoping for Max to save our sorry arses..

7 hours ago, The Original OTIB said:

"A Difficult Place To Come".

Where isn't? I hate that bloody statement, means bugger all if you say it about absolutely everywhere.

Not too many saying that about Ashton Gate these days… we’re just as shit at home.

2 minutes ago, transfer reader said:

No, I really have nothing against him and even credited the very good save he made first half where he tipped a header onto the crossbar.

I take issue with his fan club who pretend that tame shots a 70 year old with a bad back would be disappointed to concede are Max pulling off miraculous saves.

With all the dross that we’re watching, you take issue with people recognising a MOM performance? Because he will be MOM won’t he?

2 minutes ago, westonred said:

Im afraid if a prem team comes in for any of them we wont be able to keep them

No need to worry ..

1 minute ago, Packman said:

Can't believe a shite league 1 keeper is keeping us in the game.

He’s keeping a shit league 1 manager in a job..

3 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Anyone flying to a different country for RTV today…no joy in Frankfurt.

OK here in Aus… but without sound

McCrorie injured too?

4 minutes ago, Woofyourkipper said:

Sat in T5 Heathrow now waiting for flight 

2-1 city

uredzzzzzzz

Well if things don’t go to plan, try your best not to Booourskipper..

11 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Wow, you be hugely uninspired as a player, listening to that.

Well he did say that he came from the same school as our head coach so no surprises really..

Good job as usual JB.. This will be a good test for us following our back to back wins, going for an optimistic 1-1 draw.

Jon Stead was another who played for us and the Maccuns..

9 minutes ago, Fordy62 said:

I’d genuinely just be happy if we had a team who performed better than the sum of its parts. I think that’s what was starting to happen under Nige and that’s what makes it all the more annoying. 

Let’s be honest, a team togetherness and over performing is the only way we’ll get out of this league upwards, because as you rightly point out, we can’t compete any other way. 

I agree it’ll always be tough.. but the owners could have supported the manager and reinvested the profits made from the sale of AS to give us every chance… he didn’t, still hasn’t and most likely won’t. A change in direction from the top can be the only way forward.

14 minutes ago, cidercity1987 said:

What is it about clubs like West Brom who despite averaging only about 1,000 fans more than us, always get their act together and finish at least in the play offs every few years with or without parachute payments. What do they have that we do not? A winning mentality?? Same applies to loads of clubs of very similar resources.

Why can't we EVER finish above tiny PNE?? And don't say because they won a few things 100 years ago as that is totally irrelevant to resource generation in 2024.

Ummm… Could it have anything to do with our owners versus other teams owners?