Bedred31

If NP goes SL will have to replace him with an ultra cheap option- something SL tends to do even when he can afford something better. That’s one of the problems for me- we lavish money on inexperienced apprentices and only go for proven experience in times of austerity. 

BBC showing us at 60% possession so, a few errors aside, it’s not a complete shambles.

Cricket, meanwhile, going rather well, if anyone feels like a psychological break.

Mick McCarthy’s available.

Caught a radio interview with her this morning in a segment on hypermesis gravidarum(HG). No I’d no idea either, but, apparently, it’s a really severe illness during pregnancy. Sounded a complete ordeal- vomiting 20-30 times every day, bleeding and repeated hospital admissions. Apparently so severe that 25% of the women who get it contemplate suicide. At the risk of sounding like a patronising old bloke- not that difficult in my case- Michelle came over as an extraordinarily resilient and courageous women. Certainly will prompt me to think of her with renewed respect when she rocks up at the Gate for Sky or whoever.

Whose carrying the can for this? Anyone? Or more likely, as this is Britain, have they already ‘failed upwards’? One match behind closed doors will cost the FA £4-5m in lost revenue. I was at the Final and everything- transport, stewarding, policing, ticketing, covid security- literally everything unravelled completely. I’ve been at England games home and away since the early 80’s and honestly I’ve never seen such a shambles. Now I’m barred from a game next June. And the resignations? Just shameful.

It’s possible to be completely pissed off and supportive of Pearson and Landsdown. I know it is because really I am. Imagine what it must be like running a business with a £65m annual wage bill and literally no paying customers for 18 months. Nige inherited a big squad of largely crocked players and an inevitable instruction to trim the outgoings by at least £20m pa. And if you want to know what it’s like being a well supported, city side with pedigree but no sugar daddy chairman, the fans of Sheffield W, Ipswich, Sunderland and others will tell you all about it. Utterly crap result, crap game, crap evening, but there’s dignity in taking it on the chin and realising that while things could be better, they could and possibly should be a whole lot worse.

9 hours ago, slartibartfast said:

First game of the season ?

That was 93 I think? Ground being re developed and reduced attendance meant we ended up queuing on spec for about 2 hours before kick off. So thrilled to get in, then the season starts.

48 minutes ago, Sir Geoff said:

Oxford early to mid 90's 3-0 down after 15 minutes.

Remember that- and wasn’t another Oxford away at about that time so foggy it was called off at half time?

Remember Millwall away midweek in the early 90’s when we were 3 or 4 down after 15 mins.

Gillingham away, first game of the season. All pay on the day ( their shite of a chairman alleged they couldn’t afford to print tickets for advance sale) so away end full and locked by 130 while the rest of the ground was deserted. About 90 degrees, no shade, no refreshments- a killer. Think we got a result though, with a brace from the Goat?

39 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

R*vers 1-4 City : My first taste of the local derby games ( Kids ask you Grand parents what they are  )

Coventry 2-2 : around 15,000 traveling, mental night.

Chester 1-2 : Possibly the best ever. Mad day on the beer , we win and get promoted. Magical.

Swansea 1-5 : Super Bob being Super.

Leicester 1-2 : The Cup game that introduced Jackie to the World.

Forest 1-1 : League Cup Semi final, AKA the Alamo.

Man City 2-1 : Another League Cup Semi, we were very good .

Been lucky, we had coaches from Hanham or Old Market so we made sure we enjoyed our days out, even when we were losing most weeks. The ones above are the ones that jump out, if I put my mind to it I could probably come up with more. Away days are brilliant.

 

 

That Leicester game- BBC said it was off, so I turned the tv off and didn’t travel. Still have the unused ticket..

I tend to remember the trips that reflect the bizarre eccentricity or romance of the game. Walking across that water meadow to get into Cambridge, the mental walk around the allotments at Watford, or one season opener at Carlisle years and years ago, where the terrace was made of old railway sleepers with grass- basically hay- growing up between them.

Yes I was. Lasting memory was Gerry Sweeney deflecting a ball in some nonsensical game, whereupon it cannoned into the enclosure, hitting my 12 year old head. I’d love to say I was thrilled but in truth it hurt like hell. 

11 minutes ago, eardun said:

There was a period in the late 80s when we played Aldershot a lot - cup replays etc. I recall that their ground was in a park. Their chant was ‘Joey Jordan is a homosexual’. The City chant was ‘Aldersh*t, Aldersh*t, Aldersh*t.’ Neither are politically correct classics to be fair! 

Was it Aldershot fans who seemed to think that Bristol was part of Wales? I seem to remember widespread bemusement in the away end at the anti Welsh chants.

Point against Fulham fine by me- conceding in the 94th minute would break what’s left of my fragile morale.

Agree with all the above. 
Also, cheap flights to Nice, where you can check out the impressive home stadium and be close to Marseille, which is quite a football experience.

3 minutes ago, old_eastender said:

Scott and Atkinson been our best players, King & James ok.

KP is trying but nothing coming off for him, Weimann just a passenger - resigning him looking like a really bad move.

Need Jannah or Wells on to play alongside Martin, get Weimann and KP off and Massengo on too.

GMG given KP a 7 at half time but King and James only 5. Silly petulance aside, I’m starting to sit up and notice this feud with NP. It’s as if GMG has concluded already that NP will be gone soon and he’s prepared to go for broke.

Serious question for SL: what’s more expensive, the fine for breaching FFP or the cost of religiously respecting it and getting relegated? 

1 minute ago, Marco the red said:

Our reserve team lost on pens seriously get a grip everyone.

Get a grip of what, exactly? I agree that we have to try and get behind the team and no one likes fair weather fans, but this club hasn’t won in 5 months, whoever plays. I’ve worked and slept in my loft for the last 18 months. We could all do with a break but currently all being a City fan is doing is making me angry and miserable twice a week. Every week. I don’t think that plugging away and relying on character and spirit is going to cut it. NP needs players and he needs them fast. Sacking him in February because the Landsdown’s ‘can’t contemplate relegation’ is really not acceptable.

Looks like Nagy and Kalas will be gone by the close of this window, while we reinvest (some) of their wages in a big hearted striker from Rotherham or such like. If it works- and these plans do occasionally- we can relax in mid table as other Championship clubs implode financially. But if the new CF turns out to be 8 goals a season tops ( and auto correct initially changed ‘striker’ above to ‘drinker’ !), and Baker does his ACL ( or any one of his other dubious ligaments) in September, this could turn into a grim winter. Being a natural pessimist ( you tend to be when you press 60) I’m telling myself to try and enjoy August and develop a back up hobby, just in case.

I get all the detailed analysis and criticisms of players like Nagy, O’Dowda and Wells, but at the end of the day they’re experienced internationals, trusted as first picks by their international managers, two of whom have recent, decent experience of international competitions. If they’re not showing at a pretty average and currently struggling Championship club, I can’t help thinking that the problem is more with the club than the players.

NP’s current brief seems to be yes, you can sign a new player, one we evidently need to be remotely competitive, but you’ll have to sell one first and, oh yes, he’ll have to be a free. Not blaming anyone for this- except the Chinese chap who thought wild bat was a good barbecue option- but how long do you think that LJ would have lasted under the same conditions?

Just been put into Tier 4 - Tier 2 yesterday, then a heady 24 hours in Tier 3, so it’s a complete shambles and, personally, devastating. I’m 55 and, at this moment, I’ve probably never been so low. Yet the days big news is that late this afternoon my 82 year old dad in Yatton got a call and at 840 tomorrow morning he gets vaccinated. Thank God. Do I miss going to the Gate? Oh yes. Am I agonising over our results and injuries? Oh yes. Ultimately do I give a flying cack? No.

My wife has fairly severe asthma and was told immediately to stay indoors for 12 weeks. In truth, there’s no strategy at all for the 1.5 million particularly vulnerable people, save wait for a vaccine. And this doesn’t mean until a safe- ish vaccine is discovered. It has to be produced on a truly industrial scale globally. Herd  immunity is an attractive theory, but 70 percent infection/ recovery will cost the country 250, 000 dead and anyway it’s not clear yet that recoverers are immune. The lockdown will be relaxed gradually from May/June and most of us will be able to return to work soon, hoping you have a job to go back to. The economy will really demand that. Small and then big shops will re- open, possibly with some strategic re- lockdowns as time progresses. Not so sure about pubs- we’ll see. But, there is absolutely no prospect at all of the government allowing 50,000 people to cram into a stadium until a vaccine is widely available. Personally, I can’t see football re-starting until August 2021 at the very earliest. Or any big spectator sport. At present, this is deeply shocking as well as heartbreaking. I have brilliant tickets for Euro 2020, which would have been my 13th tournament attended. I will hold over but, honestly, I don’t think it’s going to happen in 2021. In 3 months or so, I think this will seem much more obvious. We will have understood more and mentally adjusted. I think the government knows this now, but understandably they feel the need to break it progressively, allowing people to adjust slowly, lest the lockdown start to unravel. What a bummer, but time will pass and, as the Queen so wisely said, we will meet again. And what a party that will be.

Things moving v quickly now. A couple of days ago, I did not  think it possible that season would be cancelled. Think it’s quite  likely now that City have played their last competitive game until August. Expect Euros to go too. Medical situation worrying, obviously but, without losing perspective, it’s the economic situation that is really terrifying. V few small to medium size retailers, pubs, restaurants or other leisure businesses will survive this without massive government intervention. Footfall in London already down 27%, in Newcastle it’s 47%.