Bedred31

Our corners are terrible. Varied, but near post, far post or training ground plan, always dreadful.

I still have the Evening Post supplement- ‘65 Years of Ups and Downs’. 65 years seemed an impossibly long period of time. 42 years feels equally incredible.

We rarely beat Luton! Time to take stock will be the first international break from 17 September- we’ll be 11 league and at least 2 cup games in by then. Either way, SL’s a reluctant sacker, so NP’s safe until Christmas, when I think things will look a lot better. (For a start, Strictly, which my wife is addicted too, will be off the telly).

Do we actually own these buses?

This is getting very ‘Clough for England’ (you have to be 50+ to understand) and I suspect that only death will break the relentless refrain.

And they won’t be doing it for free. Undoubtedly more expensive than local police, which means the club, in due course, will be picking up the bill, unless we already have a fixed service user agreement with ASC, which would mean local taxpayers picking up the bill.

Don’t think ‘neutral’ in this context means reasonably convenient for both sides, as it’s still a Coventry home fixture. Somewhere in the Midlands is my guess- and WBA would be better for us. Dark horses, say MK Dons or Oxford- both newish, well tended outfits.

I agree, absolutely, in an ideal world. But we’re not even where we were 3 years ago. Put yourself in NP’s boots. You have £8-10m to play with, and think this could keep us up and help the club to push on, or £0. Do you throw the dice or protect a club asset at the price of your job? It’s not as if he hasn’t set the scene in recent interviews.

He was a ‘Villa lad’ and Scott’s a ‘City lad’ and at present, in financial terms, there’s a universe of difference.

We should brace ourselves for a surprisingly modest offer from a prem. club. The landscape is still different post Covid and no one’s gong to offer £15-20m with add ons. Initial offers may be £5-7m and at £8+ we are at risk. And we’re not just a selling club now, we’re a selling club in a hole. Difficult to keep a player anyway who can triple his wages with a move to any team in the top flight. Either Scott or Antoine will go this window- NP will demand it because he knows he needs 2/3 more and this is the only way to finance it- and the fee will probably be ‘undisclosed’ as it won’t be over £10m.

This is not a typical season as the fixture list is initially very crowded. We have, I think, 8 league games in August? This will shake out in the next month or so, because the 10 games in threshold will come v quickly. Personally I’m a bit bemused by the Pearson experience. I really like the theory of him as manager - quite different from before, shake up the lazy players stealing a good living, proven track record at this level. But I thought some things were a given- good organisation, strong spine, high work rate, bit of niggle. In other words, more perspiration than inspiration, but with a shout at pulling it off. Yet our defence is the most porous it’s ever been in my 50 years of supporting City. We’re going to have to see this through, I think, as we have no money to spend and frankly Steve L left the building about 18 months ago ( as he’s entitled to and as I would if I was him).

I’ve never understood the equation between flares and ‘atmosphere’. To me atmosphere is shouting, chanting, singing- with shirts, scarves, banners and flags. Jumping up and down. How blinding/choking your fellow fans with a nautical distress signal improves atmosphere is just lost on me.

Lots of positives from today. Pearson‘s got a good nucleus and has them playing to a plan/mindset. And he’s done it with no money. But we’re v vulnerable to the effect of injuries. When fit, this lot can compete, even, with a bit of luck, challenge. But 3/4 key players out ( and usually by Christmas our tally is 5/7) and it could get iffy v quickly. Lot rides on August- got to keep Scott and Antoine and bring in at least 1 more, which means shifting out some more deadwood.

Yes, and having been at every major England match since 1988, I’m very grateful. And I don’t need reminding, cos I was there, always. But in 2018 and 2021 we scored early, bossed the game, then sat back, lost the initiative, failed to make the right impact subs at the right time, tried to protect a 1 goal lead , let the opposition back in before running out of steam and losing. Literally the opposite of everything that occurred in the second half tonight.

And that, Gareth Southgate, is how to manage an England side in a crunch game.

Italy red card review- changed to yellow! Jesus suffering Christ. Almost cut the French player in half. One of the worst challenges I’ve seen in years. Not sure this is proper footy.

The Aldershot fans, on the other hand, were weird. Recall they spent half the game chanting anti- Welsh songs, as if Bristol was somehow part of the Principality!

Remember that one. Being a pro, he didn’t want to acknowledge the City applause, but he finally managed a bit of a wave. But his face- more emotion than I’ve ever seen from a footballer. Like astonishment, bereavement and joy rolled into one. And that Aldershot ground was an experience- a total of 4 about turnstiles at one end. Everyone went in together and we walked around to the away end.

Foster, the Head, was City season ticket holder, but a somewhat remote figure. His Deputies were generally v good. One, Galley, was a truly outstanding teacher/ leader, but I don’t recall him having much interest in sport. To be fair, it was a terrific school- everything a comp should be. We were ordinary kids, mostly farming stock, plus RAF from Locking, ( although my dad worked at the docks in Avonmouth), where everyone was given a decent chance. Worked too- my best mate became a successful broadcast journalist for the BBC in London.

At Churchill Comprehensive in the 70’s the trick was actually getting onto a football pitch. Our PE teachers were obsessed with rugby, believing that represented, in every respect, a higher form of social/moral activity. I was big and fast enough to play rugby well. But as City were in the top flight then, all I wanted to do was kick a round ball, so this provoked real resentment- and a lasting dislike of ‘rugger.’

Ashley’s verdict- “Too many players is off it”. I know what he means but …

Completely ridiculous not to be at Wembley as well. Yes, I know, shouldn’t be a London monopoly etc, but 80k intimidates opponents- Hungary folded completely.

Utterly awful since the Channel 4 deal- yup, I’m going to obsess on this.

England look as clapped out as me- this could get ugly.

Channel 4- good for cricket- football coverage beyond dire.