Sir Geoff

7 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Total bullshit. 

We'd have not had that fantastic night at Ashton Gate against West Ham without replays. That memory would not now exist. 

It would have been a oretty lucrative night for us too. 

This is a horrendous decision. 

Might have beaten them on pens at their place. Even more magical for the 7000 or so away fans.

Good decision. I've always thought the tie should be decided on the day. Home advantage should be just that.

1 hour ago, noize said:

I am aware that you cant always take a lot from pre-season friendlies, we have seen many times in the prem, a team pre-season looks outstanding scoring for fun then when the season starts they are awful, so i get that point.

However, in our situation i am really hoping we make the most of pre-season friendlies and take on some real quality teams, maybe quite out of our comfort zone. 

The reason for this is because i still don't think Manning has got to grips with different styles of play at this level, having a decent Plan B, and how to approach different style teams, i think the friendlies could be really valuable in getting some great experience and maybe test a few things.

Basically i don't want to see pre-season friendlies with the likes of forest green rovers or standard liege, I would like to see Manning make real use of the opportunity to fine tune his tactics against decent opposition with quality players.

I guess there is also a balance of you don't want to get battered pre-season and go into the season de-motivated.

Not sure if people agree, or how they see pre-season friendlies? 

Don't get too excited but Manning will be pitting his tactical nous against the mighty Aldershot.

James seen in a better light. A year or so ago people ( no podcasts being mentioned) kept banging on that his legs had gone. 

Another good solid season finally appreciated by the majority of the fanbase and even praise from 'that' podcast.

19 minutes ago, redsince1994 said:

Roberts looks far better than at the start of the season

Roberts looked good at Cheltenham pre season tbf.

9 hours ago, mozo said:

Bloody hell, if you've been watching City 60 years you'll have seen a lot of torrid crap!

54 years for me and I can honestly say this is the dullest football I have ever witnessed in all that time.

13 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

It depends how long any negotiations and legals take. Generally I'd expect the sale of a business of the value and complexity of Bristol City/Sport to take around 6 months to complete.

If the hypothetical deal has already been hypothetically agreed then completion before next season kicks off is possible if people pull 80 hour weeks, don't piss about, and the EFL is happy with the new owner/investor.

If not...well go look at Everton and 777 for an indication of how long things can take!

Tbf Evertons takeover is only taking so long because 777 haven't actually got the funds to do the deal.

45 minutes ago, Cityboy1954 said:

Exactly  im worried where were gonna get our fifty odd points to stay up next year one good performance  every six games wont cut it .

Don't worry he'll scrape enough 0-0's and sneaky 1-0's after sending the opposition into some sort of coma with all the sideways and backwards passing.

Add that to the never before used words on OTIB.

May never be seen again. Well done Ivorguy.

2 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

The moment they sacked the popular saloon manager and appointed a novice barman in his place the last chance saloon lost it's charm and rapidly begun to empty with people contemplating other forms of 'entertainment'.

Many fans will have already decided they are not coming back for another session in a saloon with no atmosphere and where the beer's gone right off.

I still think it'll be in the thousands.

Exactly. I'm well past last chance saloon territory.

12 hours ago, pillred said:

Despite all the moaning about Manning I just had a quick look at the last 5 results for every team in the Championship and guess what we are top with 11 points, now tell me honestly if that was our previous manager's record over the last 5 games this forum would be dreaming of better times ahead, it's a results business and you can't say manning at last is not getting them.

Not if we'd played shite since October. The more balanced people on here would be saying that it would be a good time to change manager.

32 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

Hmm...

 

Is that good or bad, numbers wise. I have no idea

18 hours ago, Cityboy1954 said:

I agree not for me not impressed with McCrorrie for what we paid i dont know what he offes not as good as Tanner at fullback and not quick enough to bomb down the wings .panic buy .

I'm pretty sure we bought him to be an upgrade on Tanner and to play RB in a back four. LM seems to prefer playing him as a RWB which clearly doesn't suit him.

1 hour ago, Selred said:

Most people aren't interested in Rovers but they still get a show

That's exactly the point being made. The women should have their own show, then we wouldn't have a shortened programme for the men's team.

Anyone else remember seeing them on Top of the Pops. Combine Harvester, iirc.

1 hour ago, HengroveReds said:

Wonder if Jon Lansdown or Steve will come on the pitch and give a speech. Used to be a regular thing with Steve. 
Jon can tell us all how proud he is of our top 6 squad. 

Gaven Marshall will be doing cartwheels due to our promotion, THIS SEASON.

1 hour ago, mozo said:

It think Manning's post match comments were interesting and suggest that what we saw on Saturday is not how we intended to play:

"It was just the basics for me. Mistakes will happen, I’m okay with the lads making mistakes, you’re never going to see or play the perfect game of football it’s then the type of mistake. It was just a little bit too sloppy, we turned it over too cheaply, too passive with the ball, too passive with our running.

"When you have an unforced error, make sure you don’t follow it up with another one, make sure you can get back in credit. If you have a little period when they’re pressing, okay, don’t be afraid to spin them and get up the pitch that way.

“I thought we did that in the second half, I thought we started okay, there was a bit more purpose and intent, engaging them a little bit higher. We still didn’t work it into enough good areas like the other night but at least we carried more of a threat and there was more play in their half than in the first half.”

...

So... if you think Manning prefers to be passive, to not engage high up, to not work the ball into attacking areas, and not to carry a threat...you might be wrong.

We have seen in the last year that our players have struggled to execute the game plan, under two regimes.

Ultimately, Manning is responsible for our success, or lack thereof, but I'm certain that it was his fault that we crap in the first half on Saturday. Sometimes the players just don't execute.

Well he was standing on the half way line all first half with his hands in his pockets. Why didn't he issue some useful instructions to the players to help them out a bit.

No point moaning about them in a post match presser.

34 minutes ago, Jerseybean said:

My observations about our style of play are based on the Huddersfield game, however, much of what follows has been a recurring theme under Manning.

The approach seems to be a very cautious one based on keeping the ball, particularly in our own defensive third of the pitch, this results in passing sideways or backwards and making no progress forward whatsoever. At times, despite our defence being reasonably competent, we expose ourselves to the risk of losing the ball, which would probably lead to a goal for the opponents.

Eventually, when a ball is played forward, either because Max has to kick long or we attempt to play out of defence into midfield, most times we either pass to the opposition put it out of play or pass to a  City player who is so closely marked that it is almost guaranteed he ain’t gonna control the ball and we lose possession.

Furthermore, there is virtually no movement or forward options, meaning we play a very pedestrian, predictable, chess like game, which gets us absolutely nowhere. Not only is this very, very boring and frustrating to watch, it must also be pretty soul-destroying for the players themselves.

Against Huddersfield, we had 27% possession, the vast majority of which would’ve been in our own defensive third.

Playing with a lone striker (whether that be Conway or Wells), with no creativity in front of them, or much support alongside them, means that they are extremely isolated and highly unlikely to be able to do anything when they do receive the ball, other than try to win a foul or hold the ball up in order to play it backwards again.

I’m not a professional footballer or a professional coach, but I have played the game and did some basic coaching qualifications back in the day. What I remember is that in order to score you have to get into the other teams half and better still into or around their penalty box. In pure percentage terms, this might then lead to goal scoring opportunities. In  our case we are creating so few scoring opportunities that even if we had Haaland in our team, we wouldn’t score many.

Put simply we need to play football in the opponents half far more than we do and get the ball into their box far more than we do!

The mentality under LM seems to be play for a nil-nil. Keep the opponents at bay in the hope that we might sneak a goal by some means or another, to be fair this actually did happen in the Huddersfield game, as we were awarded a 100th minute penalty, to be totally honest we never looked like scoring from open play.

So in summary Manning-ball is like a chess game involving static players and sideways or backwards passing, mainly in our own half. It’s hard to watch, unlikely to lead to much goal scoring action and highly predictable. Given that I watch football for enjoyment, entertainment, and excitement I don’t like it at all.

Finally, the style is totally at odds with what the hierarchy communicated at the time of Manning‘s appointment when they suggested we were a front-footed team that wanted to be attacking, pressing and exciting. Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention, to be in the top six.

Exactly the reasons I won't be renewing. 150 mile round trip to watch that 23 times. No thanks.

32 minutes ago, Cov 77 said:

Ok fair enough but a crap first half Saturday made up your mind instead of a good win against the league  leaders two weeks ago or a 5-0 win on Wednesday? 

Indeed, it just proved to me one final time that Manning prefers to set up not to lose rather than play more expansive football to try and win.

In fact I've been hoping he would prove me wrong ever since the negative way he set up in his first game at QPR. 

Two decent wins aligned with one good performance in the past few weeks has not convinced me that next season won't be more of the same dreary boring football.

Took an age for the players to come out for their end of season lap of honour, last season. Thousands gave up waiting and went home. Let's hope its all a bit quicker this season or there could be an embarrassingly low number staying for the Wurzels.

Surely would have been better pre match. Get everyone up for the game.

2 hours ago, phantom said:

Steve and Jon have been at a number of games recently

Sorry to be pedantic but you could renew the morning of the first home game and still renew in time

Not unless you want to pay more for the privilege, or have a seat in the South Stand, or want to guarantee your current seat. That's what renewing is. Yes you can buy a season ticket anytime but it's not renewing is it.

25 minutes ago, FNQ said:

What if, and it’s possible, we lose at home to Rotherham? We’re playing Manningball, they’ve not won a single game away from home in the championship this season and are already relegated… Jamo, Williams and Kingy will likely have been told that they’re surplus to requirements for our promotion push next term… What could possibly go wrong?

Surely then SL would have to pipe up and be seen to be managing his business? 

Will be too late for renewals by then. My mind was made up at half time on Saturday.

2 hours ago, Cole Not Gas said:

Its from what i've seen in the past 3 years at A.G Clearly a guy in the game for so many years will have more successes than someone new to his trade. But also many more failings. It's like saying Warnock was successful as a manager. Of course he had successes but he had a more than a dozen failings that can be easily forgotten. Someone new like Liam has only had one sign of success (Oxford) and is too you to have failed. My judgement is an opinion just the same as yours. We will have to wait and see

 

Just wondering what his success at Oxford was that you mention. Please explain ?

6 minutes ago, Cole Not Gas said:

I know you were one of the 600 at Bradford that night and i wore my Cole not Gas T-shirt to the game and curry house after but I'm really surprised at your reaction above. The people in charge today have made tough decisions re sacking Cotts, keeping LJ when some fans wanted him out, sacking LJ, dealing with Covid-related issues (like zero income), appointing Pearson, getting rid and finding Liam. We are still higher than anything Cotts could get us to. Surely you appreciate SL asked Cotts what he wanted (5 players), backed him, backed him again to get Wilbs and gave us the best season ever in the 3rd tier?

Before clowns start assuming i work for the owner please consider where we have come from since losing at Colchester & Crewe and respond appropriately!

Morning Jon

8 hours ago, ORANGE500 said:

Yet again? the first goal conceded in 5 games so haven't started playing after going  behind too much of late have they.

Perhaps if we'd conceded first to Swansea or Sunderland we might have not played so mind numbingly boring during each game.