The Dolman Pragmatist

You’re So Vain … Carly Simon

(I know, but I didn’t want there to be any misunderstandings! ?) Space Girl … Ewen MacColl

White Lines … Duran Duran (incidentally RW, I’d dispute any implication in the last connection that Simon & Garfunkel were ‘middle of the road’ - they were as close to the edge, or closer, than many so called ‘progressive’ bands of the era ?)

Given the blanket coverage of the incident in the tabloids, i don’t think the club had much choice. I don’t think it was ever made clear whether Ayling’s departure was as a direct result of the incident. After all, other players on ‘that balcony’ remained City players (eg Marlon Pack).

Mistaken Identity … Van Morrison

To be fair, for the first season that Riley and Neville played together Steve Neville couldn’t buy a goal. My memory is that Neville fared best next to Trevor Morgan….

Crack City … Tin Machine

Not to the extent that he is being scapegoated. Get behind him.

Because he was no worse than several other players on Saturday and had a good first half with another assist.

Whatever happened to ‘one of our own’?

Too Much Monkey Business… Chuck Berry

Trust me…

Great result! No one likes Mangotsfield at youth level…

Hole in my shoe … Traffic

Interesting piece on the Guardian website about which club’s record signing is longest ago: “Bristol Rovers’ record signing (Andy Tilson, £370,000) was made in 1992,” notes Oscar Felix Ramirez. “Do any other league clubs still have a record signing from 30-plus years ago?” We had no idea the early-1990s was such a boom time for record signings, but it seems Bristol Rovers aren’t alone. “Steve Claridge is still Cambridge’s record signing (£252,000),” writes Russell Connor. “They actually have signed him twice, once in 1990 and then again only two years later after interim club Luton didn’t like what they saw. He seems to have been bought in the same summer of 1992 as Tilson, so not sure who came first.”

The Raven That Refused To Sing … Steven Wilson

“We will likely have Kasey Palmer facing us and we will probably give game-time to a few who aren’t usual starters in league games. They drew away 1-1 at Sunderland on the opening day and on Sunday they were due to open their home programme against Rotherham, however, their pitch was deemed ‘unplayable and unsafe’.” Pearson said in the post match interview that he won’t be experimenting against Coventry.

I think it’s understandable that, given there was a hope of something better this year, such a disappointing start has left people searching for solutions. Pearson has been manager for a season and a half now, and to be fair we’ve had little to cheer in that time. I don’t expect miracles, but I do hope that the team will at least achieve what they’re capable of, but an away defeat to one of last year’s poorest teams, and a home defeat to a team in League One last year isn’t what anyone expected. I don’t much care what Naismith did last season. It’s this season that matters. The person who told me knew the details…

There’s a difference between expectation and hope and optimism. I hope we will do well; I expect to be disappointed.

Water under the bridge I know but I’m still disappointed that City let Cundy go. My understanding is that our contract offer to him was ‘derisory’ (not my word but the person who told me). And by letting him go out of contract it denied Bath City a sell-on fee which for a club like a Bath City is a pretty big deal. I’m not saying that Cundy is necessarily better than what we have, but I thought that back three of Cundy Klose Atkinson had a nice balance to it. Oh well…

London Mick … The Waterboys

Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere (I’ve looked but can’t find it) but I thought Pearson’s substitutions yesterday were desperately poor. Taking off two defenders at the same time strikes me as a huge gamble, given the amount of reorganising required. This was mentioned by Gary Owers on Radio Bristol. I would have thought that the issue was strengthening midfield, and I accept we had limited resources, but why not use Naismith or Vyner as the holding midfield player (Vyner has played well there before) if he wanted to bring Klose on? What did we end up playing - 3214? We had time to pull that one back with more resources in midfield. Sadly I think that Pearson’s use of substitutes has been a consistent failing since he has been with us, and with the new arrangements this season this becomes even more important.

Just out of curiosity - and this is a serious question - when did Naismith last play in central defence for a sustained period, and when as the centre of a back three?

I love the idea that any goal can be prevented. I believe Liverpool conceded two goals today and that Virgil Van Dijk made a mistake for one of them…

Vindaloo … Fat Les