Red Billy

Greatest come back since Wayne Rooneys hairline!

Incredible player but with his physique I wonder whether he will playing as effectively in his mid thirties like perhaps Ronaldo and Messi do.  

1 hour ago, steviestevieneville said:

Very good , under the cosh . Some really funny episodes. 

Never heard of it but have added it to Spotify! A cider with and Peter Crouch podcast is right up my street so looking forward to this. 

3 hours ago, TonyTonyTony said:

I think this season has been the worst ive seen for bad refereeing. You would have thought the standard of training and teaching referee's would have only improved over the years. Perhaps there are now too many things to think about for a Ref, which leads to mixed thinking and as a result inconsistency. VAR is the biggest pile of shit going in its current form. I do agree we could learn a bit from Rugby and cricket, that do the live talk through of any major offences. I would also give Managers 3 VAR checks a game - just as they do in Cricket for DRS. That would make it fairer and Iron out the big mistakes. 

I would love to see refs having microphones and the right for appeals like Cricket. Often wondered with the pace of the game then maybe a referee in each half of the pitch so they keep up with play better.  

9 minutes ago, Rob k said:

I’d be surprised if we get a loan back option without it costing a significant amount. Can’t see a club with more clout than us agreeing to pay 25+ mil and they don’t get to work with him for a season.

If someone buys him they are going to want to look at him for a few months first. Early rounds of the league cup etc. Then possibly loan him out at a club can’t see him coming back here though as they would want him to see him in a different environment 

If Pearson was out of work he would have been nailed on to come in as a caretaker manager till the end of the season.  He won’t leave to go back for what would be a temporary role. (I hope!)

That Liam Robinson would finish the season top goal scorer!

Pull off Bell and stick in Anis! 

2 hours ago, GrahamC said:

I know @Harry isn’t being serious but a few of us were saying how good would we be now with Semenyo instead of Bell in yesterday’s line up.

That’s not a criticism of Sam by the way but having someone with Antoine’s strength & pace would be lethal.

FWIW I hope that Wells gets a run of starts, I don’t think it’s exactly the formation he would want to play in, but he’s a finisher & his link up play is decent enough.

Cornick presumably wasn’t signed to always be a sub & Conway will probably be the next one back, so certainly a fair few options.

We would still be lumping long balls up and not playing through into feet.

It’s not like Nigel hasn’t managed to get a team on that kind of run before. ️  

We will need to fight like Beavers!  

11 minutes ago, The Bard said:

It's a child and clearly a child. He posed no danger. 

 

I ran on the pitch numerous times when I was younger. 

That’s what the Waco kid thought! And look what happened!

2 minutes ago, ScottishRed said:

Agreed. It’s great to be optimistic but it’s not happening this season.

Alex Scott will play in the premier league next year.  Alex Scott will not be getting a transfer in the summer.

4 hours ago, spudski said:

The move to midfield has definitely helped.

I do wonder with hindsight, whether NP regrets not trusting 4 at the back earlier in the season.

He said in the past that we didn't have the players to play with a back 4 system...yet we are playing with the very same players, and injuries.

It's the one major thing he may have got wrong this season. 

We would have been further up the table if we had played like we have this past month with 4 at the back.

Same personnel but definitely very different players!  

7 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Was just about to start a thread of the MD20 for Saturday.

Lets start with last Saturday’s team:

Starters:

O’Leary

Tanner Vyner Atkinson <space>

Scott James Naismith

Sykes Wells <space>

Subs:

Haikin

Dasilva

Kalas

King

Williams

Taylor-Clarke

Bell

<space>

<space>

I guess Nige might not bother to name 9 subs.  Even so, for sake of argument, Dasilva in at LB for Pring, Bell in at LF for Semenyo.  Leaves between 2 and 4 sub spaces.

Kadji probably comes in.

Palmer-Houlden maybe?

 

 

I’m wondering if he might tinker with the line up. Perhaps giving the new keeper a start and maybe bring Kalas back in and revert to a five at the back.

He had a great spell at Torquay!

42 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Don't tell anyone but our last 8 league games are:

D D W L L D D W

Is that a  Welsh town near Swansea?

19 minutes ago, Dolman_Stand said:

This is the problem SL will have in allowing Pearson to spend in January, we've signed 3 right backs under him and he still chooses to play Weimann over the two that were fit today, I guess Scott would have played there if Weimann didn't also. We're also currently starting a 35 yo midfield player at CB who's never played there before over his own 1.5m signing who's been one if our better players this season so why would you give any more funds in early Jan to a guy who may not be there a couple of weeks later?

Exactly my issue! Resources are low. Sign three right back / wing backs and still play our top scorer from last year there! I’m not sure I trust him to spend what little we have wisely! 

1 minute ago, Davefevs said:

You heard what he said about Atkinson in the week, didn’t you?

Tanner a £275k signing from Lg2 learning his trade.

Sykes a free transfer from Lg1.

I think you are trying to read too much into it.

I get your point but if resources are tight then use them more wisely. Don’t invest in players for the future or players that are too laid back?? 

@Davefevsthe only players he’s paid a fee for don’t start but he bemoans his lack of resource to change his team?  

Doesn’t trust his own players!

9 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I dunno tbh Shelts.  I hope not.  We have 2 CBs in form defensively…the concerns in recent years necessitating another CB (wrongly imho) aren’t there, and to break up the way we are setting up, would seem ceding an advantage in midfield to France.  They’ll be shit scared of Bellingham burst through as part of a three, with three options ahead of him.  Think he has to trust Walker in a conventional four against Mbappe, as I think it means we can stop Griezmann floating into dangerous positions.

I hate when managers adapt the team to match the threat of the opposing team.  Always felt Johnson’s down fall for us was his over thinking.  I want us to take the game to France and cause them problems. 

1 hour ago, OliOTIB said:

Anything on when hes back? Heard December time and watched few Robins Uncuts where hes training with the first team? Surely it cant be long

Your right it’s not long. December is less than two weeks away.

2 hours ago, Bristol Rob said:

In my head, I sang that to the tune of 12 days of Christmas.

So thanks for that. That'll be stuck in my head for the rest of the evening. 

Four Colin Cramb, three Dave Seals, two Ian Bairds and a Scott Partridge at the city.  I’ll get my coat