Engvall’s Splinter

Sykes. He really has developed in to a solid championship player. Dickie very good too.

TGH involved. Who would’ve thought it.

Dropped a huge Bollock here Lansdown. All for the sake of your ego.

This.

FFS.

I can’t see us making the TGH signing permanent at this rate. Manning may be looking to reallocate the funds I reckon.

TGH is a signing. Whichever way you frame it, Nige agreed to his signing. Alex Ferguson one of the most successful managers of all time signed some duffers. Kleberson, Djemba Djemba, Bebe etc. I don’t actually think Cornick is that mind you - the guys serves a purpose when he often comes on or during his limited starts. In fact, many our suggesting he starts currently instead of Conway or alongside him. Mehmeti I’ll give you. I think you are trying to force your argument with Atkinson. 1.5m for what has turned out a good championship performer yet to hit his peak years is not bad business at all. Whether you agree with the signing of Simpson owing to his past or not, he was a stop gap. Probably on barely a wage. Andy King looks (from the outside looking in) to of been more of a standard setter and you need people like him in the dressing room to change and push cultures in the right direction. We will never know the impact King has had on the development of the youngsters, in particular Scott and Conway. In the games King has played, has he often let us down? I very much doubt too that he is on a ridiculous wage. So are the 4/7 poor signings Nigel’s recruitment or the collective recruitment team? As your post is slightly contradictory.

"Without talking at length about the neighbours [Bristol City] they've shown what is achievable of football clubs in Bristol and traditionally, historically, Bristol Rovers is as big a club as you get in this city."

I saw that. What a whopper. He’ll suit them.

@Graham c @Mr Popodopolous I know, strange comment. What I think I’m trying to say is, if Alex would have stayed, we may of had regular flirtations with the top 6 however I don’t think we’d of ended up there. Also, I think we would’ve been a bit more pleasant on the eye. Without Scott, I think we would’ve scrambled in to the top 10 as a more hardworking outfit. If Pearson would’ve been given the green light to get a couple of extra bodies following Scott’s sale, again - I think we’d of made the top 10.

Top 10. Oddly, I don’t believe Alex Scott would’ve been the difference between that and a play off place.

Interesting …

They were I agree, however he was also supported during the season with 15+ signings.

Huh?

Whilst doing very good jobs, McKenna had a pretty solid base and was backed with a number of signings. We have been told we are at the top end of our budget already so you would assume very little wiggle room in Jan (which would be crazy!). Edwards again had a very solid base having taken over from Nathan Jones, who to be fair to him had done a great job there in the seasons previous.

This is the thing, Chaz - I think those “foundations” will need to be ripped up and started again if we are to change the way we play. By that I mean a number of new signings in January/Summer. Then we drop back in to the “we need time to bed the new guys in” etc etc mould.

Re Tanners stats around passing backwards, context is required here. Very rare do we see any movement in front of him. Conway often runs in straight lines, if not sat on the centre halves toes. Our wingers are often very narrow with Bell offering an outlet more so than Sykes.. However he is a 50 yard switch away.

Be interesting today if the FBC boys call today’s showing (2nd half) for what it was. Listened to the first couple and it’s clear there was an anti- Pearson agenda. You has been incredibly pro Manning to suit the agenda, I’ll be listening intently as it unfolds. I absolutely hope FBC are right and the change becomes a positive one. As you say though, we are being used as he learns on the job at championship level.

Pretty low bar there fella. Scott Murray would’ve offered more.

Not a case of Manning out, as it wasn’t with Pearson. The board though have dug themselves a large hole here and it’s them I would suggest is where the frustration lies. Not that it really matters as the Lansdown won’t give two hoots what the fans think. The reasoning may be different but this has the potential to be a similar situation to LJ.

I’ll await the “that’s on the manager” thread. Manning has dropped one there.

Norwich are terrible.

Oh Peter. Why would you say that.

TGH has the potential to be a regular performer for us over the next couple of years (till he goes to Bournemouth).

Decent in the fact that we are talking about the gas, a league minnow.