BigAl&Toby

3 hours ago, Robbored said:

Rangers 1 Liverpool 7……….……….and Liverpool hammered them with half their team missing.

Even more evidence that the Scottish Premier is of poor quality and has always been a two horse race - consequently neither Glasgow clubs hold their own in the Champions League. That’s both of them out of the competition.

I can’t wait to listen to TS later this morning.

And there was me thinking this was going to be about Danny Wilson and Gary Johnson….

Or Bristol City and Preston…… was you there last night @Robbored?

But **** me oh no. It’s another of your favourites.

Isn’t Thursday early Post Office day to get your pension? Where’s that emoji you like?

1 hour ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Naismith returning will at least provide us with an extra outlet, threat going forward, from the back if that makes sense.

Fully fit Kalas would also be an asset but will we see a fully fit Kalas in a City shirt again? He's been out since March? Won't be fully fit and in top condition for some time IMO even if available to play.

An extra outlet that is - to my mind watching things right behind the goal - also a liability.

The old Kal I think I’m better than I am Naismith comes deep. Cap’n Dan rolls the ball to him. Kal strides purposely forward only to hoof it long or get dispossessed. 

Few touches and ball gets played back into or over him by whoever we’re up against and we’re back where we started.

KN needs a better defender alongside him or in behind him. 

I know. Team tactics. But I don’t buy the KN/DB method. It’s too exposed, predictable, and often. And it’s been sussed. 

1 hour ago, GrahamC said:

It’s completely obscene.

I would walk away from supporting professional football if we had Saudi or Chinese owners.

@GrahamC why? Do the ends ever justify the means?

Devils advocate of course

@Rocking Red Cyril same question.

Is it HRH’s involvement in many things shady that puts most off?

What a moral dilemma….

And then I watched Gary O’Neill’s Bournemouth. Is he another who we might have done better by?

And Bournemouth FFS.  On MOTD. Whilst we lose at St Andrews. And it’s not as though I can whitter on about Kal and Cap’n Dan….

I fear football was lost to big business and big businessmen with even bigger wallets a long time ago…..

Anyway I’ve got a kitchen light switch to fix…. Which one is the common wire? Red or black……..

Three very different ladies but all with a common interest. Football club ownership and investment…..

Another early morning awakening and I watch MOTD on iPlayer. Newcastle against Brentford.

Rumour has it that since Saudi backed investment Newcastle have spent c£100m.

They whip Brentford - a club that recently we would have considered amongst our peers……

I guess the question is who’d want Mandy and her money over Maggie and her’s?

How does a Saudi funded equity fund pass financial legitimacy tests to invest and take ownership in a UK football club in the first place?

Was there a mutually beneficial relationship between a Saudi funded and based businesswoman and a now disgraced member of the Royal Family who was then a UK trade envoy - amongst other things……

I openly question the Ls involvement in BCFC but I for one would always prefer them - with their faults - over Mandy and all the riches she might be able to access.

Anyway I wished I could get a full night’s sleep. And stop having such seemingly random thoughts…

Who’d prefer Mandy?

10 hours ago, Robbored said:

Those games were the only that I got a buzz from watching GJs teams - probably because he played the mercurial talent of David Noble.

He got us to the final but did a Wilson and failed…………

**** me are you still banging this drum…… Didn’t all those years in the NHS teach you anything?

Only mistake GJ made in his final was not dragging Orr when it was clear he was ******.

Unlike DW. Who selected completely the wrong team.

Christ alive. Did you go out on the lash with Danny’s wonder boys? I’m struggling to understand what you saw in the man.

Ok. Great, exciting and entertaining football. But at the end of the day - failure.

And another thing. What’s your fascination with that bloody emoji?

10 hours ago, Robbored said:

For me football is all about being entertained regardless of a win, draw or defeat. DW provided that entertainment and GJ did not.

Thats always been and will remain my argument.

It’s 2.30 in the morning. I can’t sleep. I know what I’ll do. I’ll have a little dip into OTIB.

**** my boots. He’s done it again. Posts a one liner and watches it run…..

I well remember the anticipation of the Cardiff Play Off - or Pray Off as you like to call them.

No entertainment that day. Just complete bewilderment as we trudged back from a very dour game.

I do agree that under DW we played some attractive football but at the end of it all we had 4 seasons under Mr W and the ****** failed.

However if that’s your measure of success you’re very welcome to it…..

On 05/10/2022 at 15:54, RedRock said:

My advice. Take care and/or a condom.

A few decades back was driving in from Tamworth to collect my wife from her Central Brum bank. Had our young puppy in the back of the car, who en-route into town on the A38 decided to vomit the entire contents of her tea on the back seat. 

Pulled off into an area that made St Paul’s look like Knightsbridge. 

Got out of the car and within seconds this woman had got into the passenger seat. Had a ‘conversation’ which centred on me explaining I had stopped in the area as my dog had puked. Anyhow, she wouldn’t get out of the car, so eventually we agreed that I drive her into the City Centre. Bizarre in the extreme.

My (ex) wife didn’t believe the story either!

@RedRockThat happened to me once. Must’ve been over 30 years ago.

Back then I had a snowberry white 1968 MG Midget. Beautiful beast and as my first ever car my first true love.

Anyway I was driving back from Hanham to Downend through Kingswood.

I was stopped at a junction and a young lady with a very short skirt opened the passenger door - I think it was a balmy summer evening and I might have had the roof off.

She asked if I was “going down town”. I said no and told her to get out. She refused.

One of us got taken for a very short ride. I dropped her just round the corner.

Moral of the story? Always keep your car doors locked when you drive through Kingswood….

1 hour ago, cider hoss rules said:

Will never forget this.....

Champagne moment: Lee Tomlin's last-minute free kick at Fulham - Bing video

 

Fulham 1 Bristol City 2.

I know this is about LT - and I for one will be pleased he played for us, and for his contribution - but isn’t it ironic?

We’re we are. And Fulham are where they are. I know where I’d rather be….

1 hour ago, Steve Watts said:

There were some good decisive pieces of defending, which I applauded and gave him credit for, but it's the same mistakes all the time that he's making.  He needs to take far fewer risks with the ball.  The reason it's being focused on is because the mistakes that he does make tend to occur in an area of the pitch that puts us in trouble.

I also don't think the Vyner references are irrelevant.  They have no impact on Naismiths mistakes, true, but the situation is very similar and therefore comparisons are completely relevant.  Vyner, prior to this season, would make the same mistake over and over again and it gets costly.  The same thing is happening with Naismith.  And it's still true that as soon as Vyner makes a mistake the crowd are quick to jump on him, irrespective of the fact that he's turned it round massively.  That hasn't been the same with Naismith who, at his age, really shouldn't be making the mistakes he makes.  The issue we have is that we have no opportunity to take him out of the spotlight at the moment such is the lack of real options with Klose and Kalas out. 

I agree with a lot of this. Naismith isn’t anywhere near as good as he seems to think he is.

Some moments of excellence that might grace the Premier League are all too often overshadowed by moments that wouldn’t look out of place up on the Downs……

He wants the ball from Capn Dan. Capn Dan rolls the ball to him. Kal takes it forward. He stops. He plays it short. He launches it long. **** me. It’s coming back….

If he had cover directly behind him - K or K - then it might well work.

As it is I think he’s been found out and what he might have - and did - get away with to some extent earlier in the season isn’t happening anymore.

And yet Capn Dan and Kal persist. Perhaps they know best…

I used to play with my brother. Always remember the pitch going up in the air when one of us lost.

And we had the floodlights…..

9 minutes ago, Bazooka Joe said:

Too much information.

Any chance of a photo?

@Bazooka Joe certainly not. But in the meantime I hope this will suffice…..

I was dozing on Saturday evening reflecting on an away win and watching MOTD whilst laying on the sofa in my pants.

A pundit mentioned something about a False 10. WTF I thought. What is a False 10?

Then someone mentioned the xG and xA of a False 9……

Got me thinking. Is there a False One? Or Two? Or Three? Or Four? 

And if there’s an xA is there an MFI? Or DFS?

What did we do before modern day football gave us all such interesting stats? What would BigJohn have been? 

More questions than answers……

15 hours ago, Harry said:

So, because we’ve played ok in spells, everything is rosy and we’re not allowed to be critical? 

Indeed. Very impressive. 

Got nothing to do with Johnson and I do actually like Pearson a lot. So I’m not sure why you’d think that. But I guess if you have me on ignore you won’t read this. 

No. It means that in the last 2 years we had shite players who I had no affinity to. Therefore when we lost games, I was of course disappointed, but being critical was pointless, because half the players couldn’t give a shit about the shirt and thus it wasn’t as frustrating because there wasn’t much that we could do to remedy things. 
Now that there are some positive signs, and the squad has a lot more players who I feel are ‘buying-in’ then it’s a tad more frustrating that we’re letting things slip. 
 

Surely there is a place for being critical when we’ve dropped 10 points from winning positions against teams who are on our level. Or are we not allowed to critique anything? 
 

As I’ve explained, I see positive signs. But there are mistakes occurring - why are we not allowed to discuss this? 

@Harry absolutely spot on. We should be allowed to discuss without being accused of anything.

We weren’t at Hull or Blackpool but we were at Wigan and Sunderland. My view of both was that we should have won both. We made far too many simple mistakes - particularly from dead ball situations in the final third.

Thing is far too many accept mediocrity and will grasp onto any aspect of progress and ignore other elements of what they see - or don’t.

Mediocrity - a Bristol disease. And that comes from a born and bred Bristolian………

If proof were actually needed look at the points we’ve dropped. And where we’d be if we hadn’t.

All ifs and buts, but there you go….

On 25/08/2022 at 10:09, GrahamC said:

Great post.

You see those pathetic “name of club”, “wife”, “kids” flags & I just think what sad acts you really are.

I went home & away for years, but if you have anything about you, other things become far more important than an away game up North on a Wednesday, you can check the result & even follow the game, without always being there.

I’m lucky enough both to be able to afford a ST & live in BS3 so I also don’t have the fortnightly fight with Bristol’s shocking transport system.

That doesn’t make me a bigger fan than someone who can only afford to watch 2 games a season or who has watched us for even longer (50 years) than I have but can’t face the park & ride on a night.

Don’t get me started on second teams or the Premier League, though..

@GrahamC what do you mean?

Pathetic flags and names of kids…..

Christ alive. We even took ours on our jollies. See? That’s a definition of a super dooper fan…..

3 minutes ago, Red Army 75 said:

Absolutely stunning. The scenery isn’t to bad either 

@Red Army 75

Loch Katrine. Almost at the end of a road to nowhere…..

But we have books and board games. And Wi-Fi and Sky. And whiskey and Thatchers. And I have time with my kids.

And yes. It really is that stunning. No filters needed.

Thing is that flag doesn’t look quite the same unless it’s behind the South Stand goal……

At least Capn Dan won’t have to put up with my inane ramblings…..

10 minutes ago, chinapig said:

Moonlight on the Malago.

@chinapig one of Adge’s finest. That and Twice Daily…….

@gl2 tis Scotland. Home of the ******* midge. You know the sort of thing. A small minor irritant.

Talking of small minor irritants I think the boy wants to go and see Hibs whilst we’re up here……

32 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Suspect you’ll find the match on Hesgoal just before midday if you’re interested.  Looks very tranquil there, is that the Feeder?

@Davefevs indeed it is. The Feeder!

We’re on holiday so we’ll have to give it a miss. The boy’s not happy.

Hopefully this might help. And we do have Sky…..

I predict a home win. COD to score. An OG.

Oh. And a riot.

9 hours ago, Robbored said:

I used to love going to Ninian Park, it was a real shit hole and full of baying and aggressive home fans. The most hostile away ground I ever visited. Even the police were like a bunch of thugs, holding their riot shields like the Roman army. One particular memory was when the home and City fans were behind the goal separated by about 15m metres and high netting.

They were so close that they threw coins thru the netting, empty coke bottles full of piss over the netting……I went for a piss and the away bogs had no roof! 

That was day the iconic photo of Scott Murry cupping his hand  to his ear as he ran down the side to us fans at the other end was taken. That has to be my favourite City photo of them all.

 

@Robbored no way! Me and the then Mrs Big Al was there too!

Pies, piss and pounds. She hated every minute of it.

And then at halftime a fan was sick in front of her.

She never went again. Hey Ho. Me and boy have. Several times.

Won’t be there tomorrow. Highland Games in Stirling today was more of an attraction…….

3 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Totally Disagree - Luton switched to a 433 at h-t, we adjusted as they played non-threatening possession footie for 3-4 minutes…then we battered them for 15 mins until the sending off.

We have 5 shots to their nil in that period.

Wyscout - I pay for it.

Christ @Davefevs - there was me thinking you was using your Black Horse analysing skills and doing it yourself

Is there a graph though that shows the number of times we huff and puff into the danger zones only to **** up the throw in/goal kick/free kick?

Seems to me that the answer to that one would be worth knowing, and give Big Nige some much needed data.

Thought last night was an improvement on Wigan but again I think there were instances where although it wasn’t Joe Williams who ****** up the free kick, others did.

I struggle with that quality. They work collectively to move the ball into their target area - where presumably they train to maximise the effect of getting it there - only to then let the opportunity fizzle out with a whimper.

Happened last night I think….

@Blagdon red we can’t get to the Cardiff game this weekend. We’re off to see some more huffing and puffing in Sterling - Highland Games!

Can you make use of our season tickets? 1 adult and 2 U19s. If you can’t then no worries. 

Let me know when you can. 

29 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Second one on Conway was….Whatmough cleaned him out.  Makes no odds he got a shot off.

@Davefevscan’t recall that one. Perhaps I was tucking into my chicken balti pie - even though I’d asked for cheese and onion…..

Anyway all about angles and perspectives. 

Let me take you back to your own playing days…..

Ever come across a certain and vocal Mr M Gingell? Well he and I often had our “differences of opinion”

Often due to positioning. He’d be on the touch line one minute then behind the goal the next. Then he’d climb up the floodlights. 

“What are you doing up there Mr Gingell?” I asked him once.

”Getting a better view of the ******* mistakes you’re making you ******* ****” came his eloquent reply.

Wasn’t smiling when the back pocket card came out and he was removed to the clubhouse…..

God how I miss those days……

1 hour ago, Wiltshire robin said:

Amen 

people can blame lj, Ashton and Pearson all they want but in the end it all comes down to him . 

Tell ‘ee what.

Whilst walking from the Asda car park to the “stadium” yesterday it dawned on me. That’s “the model” that Messers Lansdown and Mrs Lansdown want for his portfolio.

A premiere facility with multiple cash cows. They too could have their hands on the udders of KFC, Nando’s, Subway et Al.

Hoards of punters willing and desperate to fill their pockets with credit card generated purchases. **** me some weren’t even going to the footy….. They was there for a sweltering hot shopping experience……

And at the end as we walk back to Asda, reflecting on yet another day of wasted opportunity we see Father L and Junior coming out of Smythes.

Junior has something in his bag. He’s muttering about “the model” that Father has gifted him.

”You said I could have the Millenium Falcon. Or Lego Expert Ferrari…..”

”Stop your whining you ungrateful child. When you can show me you can manage a Lego Duplo I’ll let you loose on the big boy Lego….. In the meantime Maggie where’s that ******* bus? Did we bring the Blue one or the Red one…..”

Kerching. More cash in they coffers. Keeping up the bloody good work…..

Was never a penalty.

Player reactions tell you what you need to know. No real reaction from anyone.

Red card mind…….

One the Clown got wrong.