Bedred31

Currently on a family visit to Brading Roman villa (Isle of Wight). Last time I was here I returned to the car to discover that Steve Coppell had unexpectedly resigned. Going in now and will check back in about 2 hours…

I think NP asks a lot of his players and many ( perhaps most) just aren’t programmed to cope or respond, regardless of motivation. His management strategy really depends on the ability to trade these players out and replace them with players whose personality he can trust. This may not require huge amounts of money, as he has a record of discovering footballing ‘sleepers’. But it does demand ins and outs. If, as with City at present, volume player turnover is effectively impossible, then I think his methodology is undermined fatally.

If you can’t afford to buy players and refuse to utilise the loan market, then you’ve left yourselves very few options- free transfers basically. MacGregors article today notes that an on the cheap strategy can be successful, but generally it depends on good free transfers and careful use of the loan market.( Also worth pointing out in articles like this that success is the exception not the norm- generally spending no money in football leads to relegation). I like and support NP personally- his likely replacement is the stuff of nightmares- but I can’t see him being here come September.

And now milk up by 50%,apparently. Having grown up in N Somerset where there are more black and white cows than people, this is a particular bummer.

Having experienced numerous relegations since 1972, avoiding it this season is fantastic, frankly. Always easier to stay up than win promotion. Next season could well be worse, so try and appreciate what we’ve got now.

We had a young, inexperienced unproven manager and showered him with transfer funds. We’ve got an older, experienced and sometime proven manager, and not given him a penny. I get the frustration, really, but if we keep whinging and gunning for NP, this is only going one way- to a young, inexperienced and unproven manager with no money to spend.

Even with basic, well below average defending, this team could be challenging. I don’t think today is a parachute payment thing- it’s a bizarre side that can score against the best but can’t defend against the under 10’s thing.

9500 fans go wild …

To be fair, the ‘new bag policy’ - which I agree is ridiculous- has been in place for at least a year now, and every ticket holder is sent at least 2 emails beforehand ( including the day before the match) as a reminder. And the instructions don’t suggest using the bag drop, which is really only a fallback. Inconvenient, as I go straight from work, and more about saving money on stewarding than genuine security ( now with, for the first time, airport style metal detectors, I noticed), but fans can’t really say they were not warned.

BGas for gas- Eon for electricity. I live in the East of England. Current prediction for year is over £3k each and this doesn’t take into account further likely rises in October. I think you may be surprised how much yours will actually be by years end. Eon incidentally now bill monthly ( as I refuse to give a DD)- you have 7 days to pay, then excess charges apply! Again, I think many of us don’t yet appreciate how bad this is going to get. Think your 2020 totals x 5 and you won’t be far off.

Verification Terminee - so much sexier than Check Over.

I never presume on peoples means- for some this will seam good value, others will find the prices impossibly high, no matter their commitment to the City. But I gather that a World Cup Final cat 1 ticket will cost more than £1600, so it could be worse!

Whose your supplier- mines now pressing £600 a month.

Got Sky Q and it’s fantastic. Glass just appears to be the same without the box/dish. I get my broadband from Sky- the guaranteed multi room higher rate- and it’s nothing like as good as Sky claim. Signal is often 1 or 2 bars and the router seems to need re setting every few weeks ( live in an Edwardian house with solid walls, but in the centre of a town.) So it’s definitely no thanks for me.

I gather that Holby City flatlined yesterday after 23 years. Never a fan- don’t watch much telly-but I smiled at the memory that the original writer, a fanatical City fan, subtly named many of the main characters after City legends. Thus the hospital was staffed by Drs called Jordon and Merrick etc. It took some months, I recall, for anyone in authority at the beeb to notice.

To be fair, we got a 93rd minute winner last week. All in all, NP’s had a decent few days. I thought we’d lose today, with a 50:50 chance of a hammering. Very happy last Saturday, pissed off on Tuesday, perfectly content today. Would like more, always, but can’t complain tonight.

3 days after the trip to Blackburn! Sure, could be worse, but only if the FL shows less than zero concern for die hard fans.

If SL wants to maximise his profits, he’d go nowhere near a new suburb. He co-ran one of the most modern, innovative wealth management companies in Britain, with excellent returns over decades, without producing or building a thing. Sure, he’s not planning to make a loss on this, but really, if gert profits are your thing, there are better ways.

Post Covid finances have propelled the team backwards- arguably our league position has taken less of a hit than the squad. Which is, I guess, an achievement of sorts. But I agree that it doesn’t feel like it.

Meanwhile, Blackburn and Barnsley away in 3 days when you are a West Country club- outrageous fixture list, but the greatest respect for those who traveled.

On the plus side, I normally feel angry and frustrated when the season ends, as usually it’s an opportunity missed or a chance squandered. Finishing this one’s going to be great- survival, which is the main thing and not a given, mixed with the sheer joy and relief of not having to watch this team twice a week. Strangely, this could end up feeling like the best season for a few years.

Busy all day yesterday with a family memorial and, to boot, mother in laws house move. This result simply brilliant- amazed at my advanced middle age how one cracking result and a clean sheet can boost morale. Fantastic for NP.

Welcome to London- you’ve obviously never had a pint within 5km of Wembley, where all boozers have a Match Day Price List. They will say additional security costs- plastic glasses etc- but that’s plainly nonsense, as an increase in sales will compensate for any (largely fictional) additional costs. Meanwhile, I’ve no experience of the Rising Sun, which from the pictures looks a jolly good pub.

On one point About NP I am increasingly mystified- his stance on loan players coming in. I get the group ethos vibe on which his whole management strategy is based, but at present it seems like cutting your nose off to spite your face. Yes, they can be expensive mistakes ( it may be a geological period before we go near Liverpool again), but they can work well, both temporarily and permanently. He was complaining yesterday about the lack of an experienced/ specialist right back, defensive midfielder. Given we can’t afford to buy either without letting players go, surely a couple of decent loan attempts could have significantly improved our season?

NP’s been accorded some latitude, compared to other managers of struggling sides, but SL realises he’s been given less than a fraction of the resources given to LJ, who simply failed to grasp the opportunity. LJ regularly had his best players sold from under him, and this is not something NP has had to deal with yet, though I expect this may well happen in the summer. So whatever happens during the rest of this desperate season- which somehow seems more depressing than the numerous relegations I’ve witnessed since 1972- NP will be given more time and, hopefully, a bit of cash to spend. I’ve been angry and depressed about this season, but ultimately SL is a fair bloke and giving NP another season(at least) seems fair.