DaveInSA

We’ll be safe. Manning has proved he can get results. 

There’s a caveat though. If teams set up in a low block, and let us have the ball, we could flirt with it.

In my view, Manning needs to be fired. Not necessarily now, but definitely before the end of the season. 

I think I read an article in the last couple of months, which essentially said. Hoofball into and around the box is still more effective that Guardiolaball.

Soon, an unexpected team will do this and win the premier league.

7 hours ago, Davefevs said:

That was me also.  Just last week I said “keep him”, but last week was last week, and I didn’t quite have a case.  But in the last 6-7 days it crystallised for me.

The Manning we currently have in charge gets a “sack” vote from me.

He would need to make some serious changes and then execute them incredibly quickly for me to revert.  

I wouldn’t say I’ve been unconvinced, just waiting to be convinced.  And I think 20 games is enough to have a clear view of Manning and Manning-ball.  I don’t need to wait for him to have his players, I’ve seen what he can do (not do) with the existing bunch, who are as honest a bunch of pros as I’ve seen at this level in a City shirt in a long, long time.

I believe it is him / his style of play (and coaching of that from evidence on the pitch) that is the problem.

If SL wants to chuck £20m at him in the summer, fine, but that’s not justifying Liam Manning is it?

I don’t feel great coming out with this, I’d rather he was doing well and we were worried some other club might nab him.

But I’m at the point I was with Lee Johnson (twice) where I’d realised he wasn’t influencing anything

Spooky similarities.

And I think City under Manning are influenced by our opponents not by him.

 

 

I remember that Levers post - made I laugh.

I sat in the Lansdown on Saturday - you see all the ills up there. In the first half, it was a bit turgid, but we had a structure. It was easy to defend against, because we move the ball so slowly. When we moved it quick, there was almost a couple of “ins”, but the final execution was poor.

Second half, especially after Cardiffs goal, I literally had no idea what we were trying to do. Our passing was dismal. Behind or directly to a player. I seem to remember growing up, that placing a pass where the player is running to was the best pass. Oh. Of course, that assumed that our players were running. At least in some coherent way, toward the Cardiff goal.

It was bad as I’ve ever seen. Manning is done. But of course, he won’t be fired. He’ll get £15m in the summer. And we’ll be in a relegation scrap by early December. Fired in January when it’s all too late.

Unless…Steve decides he’s seen enough and takes some action.

2 hours ago, fisherrich said:

I have no problems with LM. Took on a poisoned challice.

The guy is clearly out of his depth in the Championship. A ridiculous appointment (again) by the Lansdowns that is doomed to failure.

I also have nothing against Manning the man.

The football on the other hand is predictable, pedestrian, and pathetic.

Not this year.

They aren’t firing Manning. 

Next year nailed on certainty to be relegated.

No. It isn’t.

I need to sleep now. 

I just have no words.

Manning needs to go.

I have zero football knowledge. But I can manage people.

”Go out and have some fun” is my message.you might even score.

I go about three games a season. Maybe I’m not best placed to say this. 

But today was rubbish. 

Cardiff had no threat. Were generally awful. And yet, we were worse.

There’s nothing positive about this club. We’ll have 4-5 new players for 2024-2025.

Season tickets will be bought.

Manning will be god.

and if we’re not in the bottom 3 this time next year I will be amazed.

nothing in that game was good offensively. Zero. We could play for 165 years and not score. It was piss poor. 

.

First half grade C. It was ok. Cardiff did nothing and nor did we.

2nd half Cardiff scored. We did nothing. Grade E.

I’m excited for this. First game since the Norwich debacle. I want to see if the players have learned anything. And I want to see cut throat attacking intent. It’s Baxtermas eve, I’m 50 on Sunday so a city win against Cardiff would be a great gift to start things off.

I’m ready for deep disappointment.

I’d like to see us try new things, finish strongly and the Lansdowns to have sold up.

22 hours ago, Sheltons Army said:

You probably had a far longer view Lrrr but I saw him in U21 ganevatbthe Gate after he arrived and he showed everything he is now in terms of being a livewire , ability to beat a man , quick feet , and busy busy busy - he probably worked harder than I’ve ever seen for a player in U21 games

The only thing absent in that game was his finishing

Ge certainly has improved but at the time he looked as if he could have a real X factor once he broke into regular starts 

Shame

You’re an absolute marvel if that word is in your dictionary.

Wow. Glitch in the matrix. Andrew Tate would be asking questions.

6 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

In theory you can pick any formation you like.

How would you envisage it however?

Back 4, defensive type midfielder, 2 attacking mids and a wide striker?

Back 4, defensive type midfielder, attacking mid, 2 wide men and 2 strikers?

I think the bottom option makes more sense with our players.

I’m going to the Cardiff game. My first since the dreadful Norwich game.

I’ll be watching with interest how we set up and are organised in attack. Because against Nowrich it was dreadful.

6 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

In theory you can pick any formation you like.

How would you envisage it however?

Back 4, defensive type midfielder, 2 attacking mids and a wide striker?

Back 4, defensive type midfielder, attacking mid, 2 wide men and 2 strikers?

think the bottom option makes more sense with our players.

I’m going to the Cardiff game. My first since the dreadful Norwich game.

I’ll be watching with interest how we set up and are organised in attack. Because against Nowrich it was dreadful.

6 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

In theory you can pick any formation you like.

How would you envisage it however?

Back 4, defensive type midfielder, 2 attacking mids and a wide striker?

Back 4, defensive type midfielder, attacking mid, 2 wide men and 2 strikers?

I think the bottom option makes more sense with our players.

I’m going to the Cardiff game. My first since the dreadful Norwich game.

I’ll be watching with interest how we set up and are organised in attack. Because against Nowrich it was dreadful.

6 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

In theory you can pick any formation you like.

How would you envisage it however?

Back 4, defensive type midfielder, 2 attacking mids and a wide striker?

Back 4, defensive type midfielder, attacking mid, 2 wide men and 2 strikers?

I think the bottom option makes more sense with our players.

I’m going to the Cardiff game. My first since the dreadful Norwich game.

I’ll be watching with interest how we set up and are organised in attack. Because against Nowrich it was dreadful.

6 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

In theory you can pick any formation you like.

How would you envisage it however?

Back 4, defensive type midfielder, 2 attacking mids and a wide striker?

Back 4, defensive type midfielder, attacking mid, 2 wide men and 2 strikers?

I think the bottom option makes more sense with our players.

I’m going to the Cardiff game. My first since the dreadful Norwich game.

I’ll be watching with interest how we set up and are organised in attack. Because against Nowrich it was dreadful.

6 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

In theory you can pick any formation you like.

How would you envisage it however?

Back 4, defensive type midfielder, 2 attacking mids and a wide striker?

Back 4, defensive type midfielder, attacking mid, 2 wide men and 2 strikers?

I think the bottom option makes more sense with our players.

I’m going to the Cardiff game. My first since the dreadful Norwich game.

I’ll be watching with interest how we set up and are organised in attack. Because against Nowrich it was dreadful.

I’m not good with footballing parlance or formations.

But we need 4 at the back.

Is 4-1-2-3 a thing? Because based on our players it should be a thing.

or 4-1-3-2?

I want attacking football and solidity at the back. That’s what I’d like to go right.

Well I’m very excited for Cardiff to come on Saturday. Sit back in two blocks of 4. Us create zero. And them to score on the break.

If other coaches haven’t watched us and come up with this simple game plan then I’m shocked I tell you, shocked.

8 minutes ago, spudski said:

If you sacked Manning, I wouldn't trust those in charge to put anything better in charge. 

Sooner JL and BT have no decision in who's coach, the better imo. 

That ain't gonna happen any time soon, so it's gonna be the same as we've had for years. 

Which is all the more irritating. We had a golden opportunity to build on some solid foundations.

And then in true Lansdown style, we then go about blasting those carefully built foundations to pieces. And not in a targeted way. It was done with a scatter-bomb taking everything out within 3 miles of Ashton Gate.

We’ll then try and build a new shiny palace, on quicksand, with unqualified builders, no project plan, no engineer, no architect and no quantity surveyors.

They’re an absolute joke. I want them out of our club and somebody who actually knows how to run a football club at the helm.

47 minutes ago, M.D said:

Bristol born but have lived in Brighton for a long time, so I know a lot about my club and Brighton.

Tony Bloom took over Brighton at a time you could say City was ahead of them in the football pecking order.

The difference between Tony Bloom and Steve Lansdown is very simple.

Bloom, a rich man and good business man took over his club and knew he was not experienced in running a football club, so what did he do?

He employed the best people he could get to run the football side of Brighton while he took care of the business side of the club.

He got the best people in he could and listened to them in an area he was lacking in to help his club progress.

Look at the stark reality of where City and Brighton are now, both similar sized clubs and history, one a Prem established club in Europe and the other repeating the same mistakes and what I think will end again in relegation to league one.

Manning is not for me but the issues are so much wider, it's breaking my heart, again.

TBH I wouldn’t let the Lansdowns run the “business” side of the club either.

Comms are rubbish.

Kit is rubbish.

Almost breached FFP

They aren’t fit to run a football club. The sooner those nepotistic, egotistic, goons are gone the better.

54 minutes ago, spudski said:

Tinnion is doing what anyone would do in his position. He knows he's landed on his feet, by unjustified means. He's now working with JL by making their positions easier to manage. Sadly he's not intelligent enough to realise his liked status by the fans is becoming very diminished. 

He's on thin ice with the fan base.  He imo, is a good academy director and should be still in that position. 

Having him and JL in charge is a recipe for disaster imo.

Both are scared of strong dominant men, who have achieved more and will ruffle feathers. 

Both come across as cowards. 

LM looks like a rabbit in headlights blaming seasoned players for his poor ideas. 

Being led by people out of their depth. 

This has relegation battle all over it for next season. 

 

The bold bit. Said that a couple of weeks ago.

I’ve seen it before here.

I was genuinely thinking we were heading in the right direction with Gould and Pearson and the back room team.

Replace that quality with Tinnion and Manning - 2 under qualified and inexperienced guys.

Massively risky.

It could have paid off. It isn’t. And in my view it won’t.

Relegation battle if we’re lucky, we could be dead in the water by Xmas.

46 minutes ago, The Original OTIB said:

I didn't say it was his primary role. Read it again, the  point I'm making is pretty clear. Showing some direct and personal interest in the young lads on the verge of breaking through is something I would expaect any manager/head coach to do at this level.

He’s been too busy on the grass with the lads.

I’m negative, because we should absolutely and completely be beating QPR. 

And we should absolutely and completely beaten Norwich at home (the last game I saw in person).

There are countless other games we should have done better in, and of course the reverse is also true (we’ve won a couple we should have lost).

I want to see a level of arrogance and confidence that we can beat any team in this league. We’ve shown we can do it. But we’re so inconsistent it isn’t even funny. The players need to find a way to win more games. I want to see attacking football with a bit of grit and guile in it. I want to see a bit of commitment and passion and big tackles. I want to be entertained.

I’d love to see some stats from @Davefevs along the lines of :

• Players making good runs unmarked but not found by passes
• Players idly running around not pulling defenders out of position
• Good runs with successful pass completions
• Good runs with successful pass completions and chances created with high xG

Good runs is a bit open for interpretation, I would say into the final third and into space, where defenders have not tracked or marked the runner.

Based on what I’ve seen, our levels of movement and passing are poor, at least when opposition defenders are set.

We’re much much better when we win the ball, opposition defenders aren’t set and we play with instinct and pace.

This is the conundrum that Manning needs to solve. And I don’t think he will - at least not here.

Loved reading this.

I don’t get down to the Gate much, but my 50th is in two weeks time and I’m expecting a gift from BCFC on Baxtermas Eve against Cardiff.

I expect, as usual I will be disappointed with a limp biscuit of a performance.