Shuffle

Happiest person tonight on this thread is Ian Gay as you’re all keeping him relevant. 

Thought he was superb yesterday & as a testament to Rennie actually got better/stronger as the game went on. Great attitude & an opportunity to seize the shirt.

Has to play on Wednesday ….. I’m just glad he got through yesterday without a booking meaning he can play 

The league is what it’s all about.  Bit like club v country debate where club success comes first.

My initial reaction was the prices are too high & still feel that but fully understand the rationale & more chilled about it now.  I do think the concessions for OAPS (not there yet)  aren’t great as only £3 differential. Anyway, it’s is what it is and we will have a full house and hopefully a few more points in the bank by the time the game comes around. 

16 minutes ago, ChippenhamRed said:

Really? Anyone committed enough to City to buy a season ticket is almost certainly going to be going to this. It’s a one-off and most people will pay it on that basis, just like they did five years ago.

Us fans all have massive FOMO where City are concerned as can’t bear the thoughts of others saying it was the best game or atmosphere ever.

1 hour ago, GrahamC said:

Not sure he has.

I’m more relaxed about it because the Palace centre back we were after (& didn’t get) was surely a project, rather than a definite option based on his career so far, so wouldn’t have added much this season.

We are paying Kalas a huge sum & so hopefully if needed he can return to his best. I don’t see Idehen featuring in the squad so if we were really stretched then Tanner could do a job at CB with Wilson back, Williams (more likely in a back four) or King would step in.

I appreciate Naismith is currently a first choice in midfield but if you include him we now have 8 senior defenders, all of whom are fit (Wilson maybe not enough to start) that seems ok to me.

I think the one disappointment for me is that throughout this season NP has said he needed a CB but we didn’t get one. I think Pring would play CB if Atkinson out. There’s lots who could do a job out of position but that’s too big a risk for me.  Kalas is covering two positions if we don’t move Naismith & just a personal opinion but is it a risk worth taking. Time will tell I guess but on a positive with new signings we have lots of pace and energy. Where does Weimann fit in is a great problem to have

The two wide players signed is very good business. As others have said, CB is massively exposed & we are an injury or suspension away from disaster. Out of interest has Naismith ever played in a 2? 

8 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Absolutely.

The current midfield pecking order is James, Naismith & Scott as first picks, then Williams, King, Taylor-Clarke & Kadji.

He’s optimistically our 7th choice, Semenyo was a guaranteed starter with Conway injured.

No point in keeping HNM as so far off selection and no intention of staying so save the money.   The above explains why we need to strengthen in other areas imo other than just bringing in Cornick.   We are in essence double counting Naismith as if Atkinson gets injured  but 1) can Naismith play in a  flat back 4 & 2) if loathe to move Naismith who comes in at LCB.    I think the fact we are considering King, TC or Kadji as cover for our existing 3 first choices would significantly weaken us and the latter 2 are certainly no where near ready at this stage to get us out of a dog fight if needs be.  

I think we need but again it’s all opinions a CB, CM and CF & with HNM & hopefully Martin, Klose off the wage bill soon & Bents, Antoine, already gone we need boosting.  I know Weimann,Wilson are close and Pring back this week & out  first eleven is great but we are always an injury or suspension away from a crisis as squad depth lacks both quality and numbers.  We won’t get 4 I know but we can but hope that we are all constantly on here checking for signings.

Big apology to Kal as after the move to midfield in the Swans game, I commented on here that in no way was he a midfielder as too slow to play there. Yet again, I prove that I know nothing about football as been excellent there. 

Gets me in that we get reviews on A block performance.  Hats off to them all and credit for them trying to improve the atmosphere.  It’s a group of young lads and girls enjoying themselves and having fun & showing some passion for our club.

Absolutely superb today & they couldn’t get near him all game.  For me that’s the best I’ve seen him in a City shirt.  Lock him away until Wednesday morning as if you had watched that you’d be mad not to want him.

Good luck to Bents and his performance at Forest under Holden must rank as one of the best GK displays I’ve seen in all the years of watching City.

17 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

But for the sake of 5 months, why not wait and give yourself a better net to cast?

What if he gets injured in the next 5 months & it’s a bad one or losses form?  It’s the here and now that will give him instant security.  We all thought Han Noah was a going to be a big sale and look how that turned out.  Football can change in an instant.  Appreciate he could score another 10 to the end of the season and have more suitors in the summer but it’s a gamble that he may wish to take.  I’ll be happy if he stays as think he’s our most important player as unique to what we have.

If Antoine gets offered a £50k pew contract on a 3 year contract then that’s life changing for him & his family.   If Bournemouth is his only option then on those terms it’s irrelevant how many people watch them.

Antoine is our ace in the pack & the only one who can turn a match on its head.  Power & pace are impossible to stop & he’s worth more to us now. Move on in summer as hopefully a boat load of goals and assists at minimum retain his value, if not add to it. 

Sam is a natural finisher & rapid. I’m hoping that the goal gives him the belief that he belongs at this level & confident thats the first of many. Congratulations Sam 

2 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

On a more serious note, I saw OTC at Yate a couple of times earlier this season under Beadle. The game was largely played five feet above his head due to Beadles tactics, but when he did get on the ball he was generally Yates best player - winning the ball, looking for passes etc. Its some way below our level but the fundamental behaviours were good.

He can do a bit of everything as you say and takes a lot of the set plays for u21s, can do the dirty side of the game and loves a tackle. Has improved massively from last year to this and congratulations to him on his debut. 

6 minutes ago, Jeez said:

AS body language on the pitch suggests this has been in the offing for some time.  The only complication is Conway’s injury.

I’d agree in the main but he was back to his beautiful bullying best at Coventry

3 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Backs up with a few of us have heard.

Two things, maybe it’s just me but why does the reporter here say Stoke are “likely” to make a contribution towards his wages? There is zero point in this for us in this otherwise, a very negative slant.

Secondly be interested to see if we replace him or simply promote Bajic to back up, guess it will be the latter.

Bents on loan to them & josh Laurent on loan to us …… I’d take that

As I said earlier, personally I’d take £20m but for every Wolves fan saying that is over the top, I’ll remind them that in the summer they sold Gibbs White for £25m plus a further £17m in add ons

We have a threadbare squad and if Scott for £20m is a sacrifice to bring 3-4 players in then do the deal.  Don’t want to see him leave but he will go in the summer but we need new players now.

I watch most of the 21s games at home and in fairness, the quality is good and we play with intensity & pace. Really embarrassing defeat against a young Cardiff side & whilst results are unimportant and it’s about development but you look at the experience we had playing & add it to the “another bad day” list!  

8 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Did any Hope re-appear in the second half though?

For last quarter of the game it did but we are a tough watch at times

54 minutes ago, NcnsBcfc said:

@Davefevs I think the biggest problem at the club is the lack of leadership at the top at the moment.

I get that we are in a changeover from RG to PA in the CEO role, but really we should be hearing from the Chairman/Owner about their support for NP, the vision going forward, plans for the January Transfer market; and generally addressing a lot of the concerns that we are drifting as a club; we have absolute silence on all of these fronts.

As such it is left to NP to present to everyone sometimes 3/4 times a week the club as a whole. It's pathetic really, that the position of chairman is allowed to come across as a personal plaything of the Lansdown family. When I think of some of the great chairman of our past, and where we are now, it's not great.

Yes we've only won 7 league games this season, but I've actually enjoyed a number of our games when we haven't won, we've played well on those occasions. However, we are in a results based industry, and I actually swore on the podcast this week; that for us to spend £60m+ on facilities, followed by buying 70+ players in the last 6-7 years at a cost of approx £75m, only to be playing the likes of Rovers, Morecombe, Accrington, Cheltenham etc next season is a demonstration of the mismanagement of the last few years.

For me, the next 2 games are key. I get what you're saying about Birmingham, and 1 win is better than 2 draws of course. But we desperately need a win. No win at home since Oct, 1 win (Rotherham away) in the last 12/13. If we drop down into the relegation spots, we have a very young team full of academy players, and no one of our senior players who has experience of a relegation battle, i do fear the worst.

How much would relegation set us back? Both financially, and more importantly from a reputational of view; as a club who has a billionaire owner, earnt vast fees in selling players, spent masses on a new stadium and training facilities and then been relegated. NP wants his business down early, by we are now a third of the way through the month. A couple of key players are probably injured for a few weeks. Yes, we can fudge around players that are currently persona non grata, but is that going to help our situation? 

I sometimes feel at the moment that this inertia that the club is displaying, hoping that someone will buy one of our players soon is leading us down the road we found ourselves in 2012/13 season. We are starting to sleep walk into disaster.

I know I sound dramatic @Davefevs, and you know I'm normally level headed about these things. But at the moment, it's difficult to believe that things are going to change this month for the better.

Roll on Saturday, a 2-1 win; and hopefully news of the much needed new reinforcements.

Good post.  The thing for me is that we have played well and not turned those performances into wins which is frustrating for everyone.   You are right in that at some stage we have to get to a point whereby promise and decent performance are outweighed by lack of points.  No other club would be any different.  

Would any other coach get better performances from these players is the million dollar question ?  I do have massive sympathy for NP in that the squad is threadbare and we are a couple of injuries/potential suspensions away from disaster & yet because of the mismanagement we cannot do much about it.

I partially agree with the void in communication from the top but even then what can they realistically say that we don’t already know. I thought NP had said we weren’t necessarily reliant on a sale and wanted to do business early but clearly that position has changed back to 1 in/ 1 out.  

I was really positive after Coventry where I thought we were really good & optimistic about the rest of the season but that positivity had evaporated by ht on Sunday.  I feel we are close to being a reasonable team and playing people in their correct positions is a start but like the club am undecided about whether to stick or twist.  

See you Saturday & as you say hopefully with reinforcements