Edgy Red

A fit Nathan Baker is one of the first names on the teamsheet for me. We don't have anyone else that can match his physicality and aerial ability and it's a real shame that his career has been blighted by injuries.

Whilst we've all rolled our eyes when he's had to go off at half time in a number of games, there is no doubting that he has always given his best when he's pulled on the red shirt.

He clearly needs to do whats best for his health but from a selfish point of view i'll be disapointed if that is the end of his career because he'll be difficult to replace.

We haven't been a physically dominant team for about 3 years. When we had players like Flint, Baker, Magnússon, Wright, Pack etc we were able to compete, but this team struggles. I've said before that Kalas is not a dominant first ball defender and Vyner (unfortunately) isn't Champ level. The fact that Nige isn't picking Atkinson when we don't have Baker available is a worry.

The most basic requirement of any team is being able to compete physically and i'm afraid this squad struggles badly. I don't blame Nige solely for that as its been a problem for a while, but he certainly hasn't rectified it in the last 12 months.

Semenyo is a talented player and will be the next to leave us for decent money. Some of his performances for Newport when he was just 18 showed what ability he has.

He has pace, power and running ability and they are not things you can coach. A higher team will take a punt on him in the next 18 months.

The Cotterill debate has been done to death BUT we will always wonder what would have happened if he had been given the support to strengthen the team as LJ was subsequently given over the next 3 to 4 years.

Following promotion to The Champ we were in a strong position and Cotts deserved backing at that point.

I am a huge Cotts fan and that promotion season will stay with me forever. It was a real shame how it all ended.

Wood would be a decent signing for The Geordies. Its not a massive fee by modern standards and he knows The Prem inside out and what is required.

If the worst happened and they did get relegated then he is the sort of player that would still give 100% in The Champ.

It would leave Burnley in a tricky situation and it will be interesting to see who Dyche goes for as a replacement.

27 minutes ago, Better Red said:

Thought he had a great game today. Played well and looked like a championship player.

Good in a back three. Good on the ball.

Comfortable on the ball and has pace.

Great temperament and looks a good lad.

Well done Cam Pring

He reminds me a little bit of Joe Bryan in his early days.

He's quick, physically competitive and has a decent left peg.

There is still some naivity in his defending but there is definitely a player there and hopefully he can continue to improve as Joe did.

13 minutes ago, Fuber said:

I do wonder if he was making a point with regards higher ups re reliance on the academy, as well as to us as fans.

Either way. Onwards and upwards.

Great point... i said similar on a different thread.

Starting the game with so many academy lads was done to make a point. 

The Atkinson situation concerns me. The fact that he leaves him out in favour of Towler who has just come back from a loan spell in league 5 raises a number of questions!

1 minute ago, Andy082005 said:

We look poor most games let’s be honest. We are in genuine dire straits at the minute

I feel so sorry for these kids. The responsibility being put on them is not fair 

We have some talent there but Scott aside, very few of them are ready for this standard of football. 
 

 

Spot on... i actually wonder if Pearson is playing the academy lads as it gives him a "get out of jail free" card when it all goes wrong. Fans will have more understanding if the kids get beat?

Lets be honest he has tried numerous formations and team selections and nothing has really worked and looked convincing for the past 12 months

23 minutes ago, LoyalRed said:

How many times could we have said that this season ? Winning or drawing at home with a minute to go or in injury time and then we throw it away ? Pi$$ poor as per....

We didn't deserve to lose tonight which can't be said on many other occasions this season when we've conceded late goals.

We are a poor side who are in a relegation battle but that was a harsh result tonight.

26 minutes ago, Ivorguy said:

Sorry, if Semenyo is the answer then I am blowed if I know the question

I'm certainly not saying Semenyo is the answer to our problems but he gives us something different in the final third with his pace.

We are in a serious relegation battle (regardless of what other posters may think) but there were a number of positives tonight and everything went against us.

That was tough to take tonight. We deserved at least a point and that was one of the most commited perforformances i can remember in a long time.

Semenyo isn't a natural centre forward but he offered us so much more with with his running power.

Based on the (lack of) luck we had tonight i am worried this season could end badly!

I've said it previously but Pearson did bring in 7 new signings in the summer (Weimann and Baker included) and spent the best part of 2 million quid. He has been in charge for the best part of a year and we still look disorganised and lacking identity.

IF he is allowed to bring in a couple of players in January then they have to make a difference quickly otherwise i fear this season could end badly!

15 minutes ago, spudski said:

We are as a population all getting older and living with illnesses, kept alive by medication.

Many have underlying health issues.

If we are to continue with this, then yes, we need to invest in more hospitals, more staff, that are paid well and not taken for granted and overworked.

One of the biggest investments is the pharmaceutical industry. An an industry that makes billions.

Keeping people alive that that kept other industries going...fast food, smoking, alcohol.

Then you get a virus come along and we are supposedly all screwed. How anyone can't see this is beyond me...it's totally about money.

If this was about health...the mandate would be clean eating, keeping fit and healthy, building our immune system up and looking after ourselves. 

But there is no money in that. The system makes you I'll, then trys to keep you alive with drugs

He past away in the summer.

Sorry for your loss Spudski and i agree entirely with your previous post.

We have become obsessed with trying to extend life via an array of medication but the answer is healthy eating and exercise etc. The life we live has to be about quality and not necessarily longevity.  My Dad developed Parkinsons and Dementia in his early 60's and (this is awful to say) the last 5 years of his life were prolonged for no great benefit.

I haven't got involved in the Covid debate on this forum but i believe the average age of death from it to date, is approximately 83. Now whilst all lives are precious we have to put that in context and realise that none of us are immortal. If i reach the age of 83 having lived a decent quality of life (without cancer, dementia, heart disease) then i'd be pretty content.

Anyway, i don't want to spark any kind of Covid confrontation because this forum has been overflowing with it recently. I am double jabbed, with my booster booked shortly but as Spudski intimated in his post, i do feel that we need to look at the bigger picture.

I think David Seal went on a decent scoring run when he played for us but not sure if it was in consecutive games? There could well have been a game or 2 where he didn't get on the scoresheet?

I think Bakinson has got decent ability and along with players like Massengo, O'Dowda etc have been let down by the negative approach that we have had for the last 24 months.

If you put a number of our players in other Champ teams, i think they would excel.

Its a mentality issue within our club and our negative style of play hinders performances.

Something has to change... and quick.

I know its easy to be overly pessimistic after a defeat (we suffer enough of them) but we are regressing at an alarming rate.

I also don't agree that Pearson needs more time. He spent 2 million quid in the summer and brought in another 5 of his own free signings (Baker and Weimann included) so this squad should have enough of his stamp on it.

I don't like knee jerk reactions but this is only going one way!

4 minutes ago, Fuber said:

Not sure I agree 100% with this.

I can't compare to the second half of last season, as players simply downed tools altogether. It wouldn't be fair. No manager is getting anything from that squad, ie. the previous fitness disaster earlier last season, let alone the morale impact of the contractual situations being what they were i.e. Pato, Hunt, Diedhiou, Watkins, Walsh, etc.

I agree to us having gone backwards, but that's as has been highlighted is something with regards to the coaching.

Of whom we have sacked our two most senior in the last 10 days aside from Fleming. Likely no coincidence.

My suspicion is that part of the reasoning for NP's watching from the stands is to see how well organised and communicative we are with regards to movement between phases - basic coaching for a match day, I.e. pressing. I assume he hasn't been pleased with his findings, hence Downing and Simpson being shown the door. Will be interesting how soon any appointment to the staff will come.

Add in Benarous coming on against Barnsley and Pearson's ethos on training and match day performance deciding his squad for him, it makes you question the dedication behind the scenes when Ayman is beating Palmer and O'Dowda to the first 11, among others.

Ive said it before, but if we avoid relegation this season, can only be a positive in my book.

I agree with everything you're saying BUT excuses can only go on for so long.

His record since he took over is poor and more worryingly, performances have been shambolic. The few wins we have gained have been where luck has fallen on our side with Barnsley being a prime example at the weekend.

I am not calling for Nige to be sacked, but as other posters have stated, i expected a bit better and at the very least, a team that was organised and physically competitive.

1 minute ago, Fuber said:

We may have broke even on the initial fee, but we still blew wages on them for a year apiece in Sammie and Eisa's cases.

They're a small portion of the profits blown that I could name, I could go on to list Magnússon, Djuric, Taylor Moore, Hegeler, Gary O'Neil, Joel Ekstrand, Giefer, Marinovic, Adelakun, among many others.

The list goes on and on with regards to Money wasted on the wage bill.

I completely agree Fuber and i'm certainly not denying that Johnson brought alot of players in, many of which didn't work out.

I think what is frustrating me most is that we are no further forward than we were 2 or 3 years ago.

Pearson was appointed as someone who would shake things up and sort us out, but if anything, we are going backwards.

We are in a relegation battle and the January window will be pivotal as to whether we survive in The Champ.

3 minutes ago, Fuber said:

This ignores the tens of signings made under LJ and MA's purview that didn't make it with us. Engvall, Szmodics, Eisa, plus a multitude of others.

But again to be fair we got our money back on players like Eisa and Szmodics. 

Of course there were mistakes and i'm not denying that Johnson was backed financially but i just don't see where Nige is taking us (other than Lg1)

It was clear to every single City fan that we needed offensive reinforcements in the summer and if that meant that we didn't spend nearly 2million on Atkinson then so be it

4 minutes ago, David Brent said:

Bring back the funds he had too

To be fair he had funds because we had consistantly raised money by selling players... Kodjia, Magnússon, Kelly etc.

The FFP debate annoys the hell out out of me but at least LJ gave players a chance who went on to make us decent profits.

If Nige has to cash in on Massengo or Bentley to bring in a couple of forward options then so be it

1 minute ago, AG City said:

Pearson played a blinder sucking a 3 year deal out of Lansdown as he knew we were vulnerable after the Holden debacle, and as others have said, knew how soft the club is from top to bottom - proven by the sanctioning of those 3 Leicester old boys who look an absolute waste of a wage. 

Great point... certain fans keep saying that Nige needs transfer windows to bring in his own players but King and Simpson were poor options.

And whilst i don't think Matty James is the worst player in the world, he doesn't deserve anywhere near the plaudits he's received to date.

We are in a long relegation battle and there is no sugar coating it

3 minutes ago, Kibs said:

I really thought that as a minimum, despite the shite he’s inherited, Pearson would make us organised, hard to beat and unpleasant to play against…..but it’s actually the polar opposite. 

This group of players are very average, but they are better than they are currently showing and Pearson is responsible for that. 

I couldn't have put it better

This is as bad as i can remember in the last 30 years... it takes me back to the Russell Osman era but at least we looked organised back then

1 minute ago, Monkeh said:

Two pacy wingers and a centre forward would cost triple that in January 

My tongue was in my cheek

Lets just rename it "The Thatchers Gold Ashton Gate Arena", pocket 10 million for the privilege, bring in two pacy wingers and a centre forward and Premier League here we come!