The Dolman Pragmatist

Spinning Wheel - Blood, Sweat & Tears

Has anyone actually read BTRFTG's post above?  Its a very accurate summary of what happened.  Though their departure played a part in City staying in existence, I'm afraid that the Ashton Gate weren't eight selfless, altruistic individuals who willingly sacrificed themselves for the good of the club.  They were unwittingly caught up in the middle of a situation that should have been avoided, and took a course of action which was probably the best for them at the time.  I'm very glad they did what they did, but to say that they were the ones that saved the club is simply wrong.  

8 minutes ago, stephenkibby. said:

Searching... Change.

The Seeker...  The Who

52 minutes ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

I remember Jeff Stelling saying Cheltenham vs Exeter was a ‘local derby’ - 116 miles between them ... so, by that logic, Bristol City vs Brentford is a local derby ?! 

Or City vs Wolves for that matter (104 miles).

1 hour ago, Seneca the Younger said:

Just down the road & about 10 fans, embarrassing. Plymouth took 2000 to us.

Oh yeah, the old 120-miles-away ‘local derby’.  About as credible as the pundit who described Chester vs Chesterfield as a local derby...

It sounded likely from the interview on Radio Bristol that he had asked for funds for January and was turned down.  The guy was near to tears and I felt really sorry for him, and also for Rovers fans if they are to lose a promising manager because of their Board’s refusal to back him.  I can imagine how frustrating that would be.  Sorry, I’m obviously out of step with everyone else on this thread.

8 minutes ago, Redandwhitescarf said:

 Think they are doing well , despite what is going on with their ownership and the ground. It’s early days yet, but the players appear to be playing for the shirt. Wouldn’t begrudge them a promotion , would like to see the Derby games again, but  that won’t be anytime soon as we  hopefully we will get promoted. A double promotion in Bristol would hopefully bring us out of the football wilderness in the eyes of the media.

Well said mate.  You have to hand it to them this season, no one could have predicted they’d be two points ahead of Sunderland at this stage, particularly given the way they started the season.  I’m sure I’m not the only poster on this forum who has good friends who are gas heads, and fair play to them.

It is hard to understand what makes a viable business these days.  Most top clubs seem to be trading at a huge loss, and their value is being inflated by the ludicrous values put on players, which are totally artificial.  The football authorities are not helping by their hopeless mismanagement of these situations.  It feels almost as though they want smaller clubs to collapse.  It’s will be an absolute tragedy if either Bolton or Bury go to the wall, while the likes of Villa thrive...

I knew Mark ‘Sooty’ Byrne at the time (who was Vice Squad’s manager, and occasional guitarist) as I played in a band with his brother.  He used to mix for us occasionally and was very talented.  I think Simon Edwards (later of K-Passa) had something to do with them too, maybe started a record label with them.

Never much liked Sioux and the Banshees but that Old Market gig was unforgettable (not least for the amount of saliva in the air). 

1 hour ago, Alan Dicks said:

Waddock?

No need for that sort of language.

48 minutes ago, TETBURY MASSIVE said:

I reckon they are as guilty as each other, Cardiff withholding is as bad as Nantes demanding. 

Either way no one looks good in a sorry situation.

I doubt it was a case of the demanding of money.  It's clear how Nantes as a club have been affected by this sad event, and I would think that they above everyone would understand the sensitivity.  However, life does go on, and business is business, though I doubt it was as insensitive as the media are suggesting.

Am I the only person who feels sorry for the bloke.  He was doing a great job for them and has been royally shafted by the club.  Didn’t he turn down Leeds to stay at the Mem?

36 minutes ago, Fordy62 said:

This is beyond a joke.

We play some lovely one touch around our own box and the hoof it forwards to two strikers who are about 5' between them.

I'm genuinely worried when they bring Matt Smith on.

Matty Taylor is the same height as Assombalonga...

3 minutes ago, Esmond Million's Bung said:

The first goal was a comedy of errors and a long lumped ball, the 2nd goal at least involved passing and not one tackle, piss poor closing down allowing a simple cross and Hunt had lost Assambalonga he didn't even know he was there until the wrestling match started and one man wanted it more and proved it by scoring, it was probably a foul but Hunt needed to do better and to be much stronger.

I hadn't realised that Assambalonga was so short, until he squared up to Matty Taylor on Saturday and I realised they were pretty much the same height.  I'd always thought of him as a tall geezer, but he can't be more than 5'9.  Completely out-muscled Hunt though.

27 minutes ago, Robin Ashton said:

Am I right in thinking that if we don't win tonight LJ will have set a new record for City of consecutive away games without a win?

I remember a season when I was a child when we only won two away games all season...

40 minutes ago, hodge said:

Please can we try 433....

Niki

Hunt .... Webster .... Kelly* .... Dasilva

Brownhill ... Pack .... Walsh

Watkins/O'Dowda .... Weimann .......Eliasson

* - If Baker properly fit then push Kelly to LB, perhaps even then Dasilva to LW and Eliasson to RW

After Saturday, not sure that I can justify Hunt (at fault for both goals) ahead of the much-criticised Pisano (who I actually thought had a decent game)...

7 minutes ago, Esmond Million's Bung said:

Found this from Bristolpost's Gregor McBoatface. So far this season. Number 2 is a worry.

The Robins average more possession than any other team in the Championship
Make fewest tackles per game
Make fewest fouls
Most fouled team per game
Most dribbles

Presumably if you have the most posession, you're likely to make the fewest tackles?

5 minutes ago, redcityman said:

Bristol rovers highest ever placing is 6th in division two 1955-56 and again in 1958-59,  that is it in ONE HUNDRED AND  THIRTY FIVE YEARS.

Enough said.

I hate to say it, but if you take away the paltry four seasons we spent in Division 1 in the late 70s, we haven't done that much better in the last 100 years.  Given our resources, I would argue that in that period we have been the more underachieving team.  Sorry to be a party-pooper.

8 minutes ago, Slack Bladder said:

2-2 very disappointing result for me, but then again we've been struggling for months.

How come we’re only a place off the play-offs then?  Patchy form, but not struggling.

13 minutes ago, pillred said:

bang on, today was definitely not lees fault, the players just fell apart again. 

Tell me if i’m wrong, but weren’t there eleven other players out there?

44 minutes ago, WECANDO said:

Were having a pretty good season is correct. We are not now. We are sinking and need to sort ourselves out before we fall massively away from the playoffs and a major disappointment.

We didn’t sink today.  We increased our points total by one and consolidated our position in the play-off zone.  I’m reasonably pleased with that.

4 minutes ago, CTRed said:

#1 I am a fan of LJ and the club philosophy.

Next;

Woodrow should be nowhere near the first team

If we were going to go 451 then I’d rather have had Bobby stay upfront (he can almost  do the job of 2 with his energy and pressing) and bring Walsh on (he would look after the ball and ultimately help relieve pressure)

If not, Diony instead of Woodrow

Diedjou was clearly struggling so a little slow to make that change

Another game that not having a RB (and Wright) has cost us. I like Wright as a warrior, but at best, our 3rd choice CB. Another consistency of the season.

These are not thoughts with hindsight but ones which I had during the game.

Sorry, but Diony would have been entirely wrong today, and Woodrow was a goid shout.

There were two teams out there today.  We bossed the first half; Leeds shook themselves up at half time and played very well in the second half.  A draw is a draw.  You might as well say that we didn’t win today because we didn’t have Aguero, or Kane, or any other player.  Fact is that with the squad we have we got a creditable draw at Leeds which, as Bobby Reed said, they who’d have taken before the game.

No disrespect, but Johnson is the manager, not you, and I think we’re having a pretty decent season.

1 hour ago, Esmond Million's Bung said:

A game we should have won, we were technically better all day, but today showed up how we over complicate our play and when that goes wrong we put ourselves in danger.

Our crossing was shocking and Bryan the worst offender, or free kicks lack any invention whatsoever, we barely created a worthwhile chance all game.

We had more than enough bodies in the box for their goal but the poor marking and lack of closing down was amateurish and a throwback to last season.

Last week the sky super computer predicted that we would end up coming 8th and on this performance they are correct.

Disappointing to say the least.

That all said I have decided to be generous with my marks, but there needs to be a lot of improvement and without doubt IMHO we need a right back and even more so a striker.

Fileding 6 Little or nothing to do and let down by his midfield and defence for the goal.

Wright 6 Defensively OK, offers nothing going forward.

Flint 7 Played well and gave everything as usual.

Baker 7 Also cool, calm and collected.

Bryan 6 Defensively fine but his crossing was awful.

Brownhill 6 Not up to his usual standard today, apart from his shot that hit the woodwork.

Walsh 7 Some neat touches, looks a find.

Pack 6 Couldn’t fault his effort, just never happened for him today.

Smith 6 Same as Pack.

Patterson 6 Tried his best but another not on his game today.

Reid 6 Same as Patterson.

Subs:- Firstly I thought taking Walsh off was a mistake, I would have taken Brownhill off.

Kent 6 Obviously a talent but should have scored with a good chance.

Taylor 3 Not championship quality, now doesn’t even off er anything coming off the bench.

Magnússon 6 Did nothing wrong.

LJ 5 I thought today we looked sluggish and bereft of ideas in the last third of the pitch, we never properly tested their keeper, we need a lot of crossing and free kick practice because today it was lousy. But having said that any danger today was self inflicted. 

And as I said I believe we need a right back and a striker, over to you LJ.

Sorry, but 6 for Kent?  I thought he was embarrassing.  2 would be about right.  On the other hand I thought Pack had one of his best games of the season.

It may be unfashionable to say it but, with one or two exceptions, I thought the reactions on Gaschat were pretty respectful.  The discussion on how our success impacts on them is interesting, and perhaps i’m in a tiny minority but I respect any football fans who support their local club.  I’ve always enjoyed the rivalry with the Gas, it’s part and parcel of being a football fan.

1 hour ago, BCFC Richard said:

I think we're a bit hard on Mags. He clearly isn't a LB and is not at all confident in the role. He looked better today than the last game and all you can really ask is for progress. He didn't get forward enough and or offer an overlap but actually, apart from one mix up with FF, defensively he was decent. Bailey suffers the same issue in terms of going forward as Mags but people appreciate he is out of position and give him some leeway. + Mags's throws are a potent attacking weapon that cause a huge threat and have led to a couple of goals so far this seasons. There have definitely been games where we have forgiven Flint's shortcomings because he has scored or been a threat up front.

Don't get me wrong I not saying he is at the level of Bailey or Flint but he is a player who is developing and has potential. When he is at CB he actually looks confident and relaxed on the ball so it's clear that playing LB affects that part of his game. I not saying he is amazing but I think some people have got into a mindset of looking for his faults instead of looking at him overall. At worst I'd say he is a useful squad player.

‘He clearly isn’t isn’t a left back?  I suspect he’ll be one of 32 playing in that position in Russia next summer!