JP Hampton

Ran out of emojis, but you’re so right. Possibly more a case what has he already got away with.

Tbf wherever I’ve heard that the person has always been joking I think it’s a bit tongue in cheek.

As has been said corona “virus” not “bacteria” . To be honest there are thousands of bacteria that can cause infection.

Same although about 10 mins after for email. Maybe doing this in the morning helped.

Great post. Love listening to Owers reactions to us scoring He’s a total Red!!!

Hope Joe gets well soon

Yeah. I agree last two games his passing is improving all the time certainly making himself a real bonus. Have always loved his passion so very pleased for him.

Just goes to show when they’re forced to play by going a goal down, rather than possession football, they’re perfectly capable to draw against a Prem side. Pearson would have been proud of their physicality today.

I thought Joe has been showing some really energy and commitment since returning. Thought the overall performance was very average, very predictable and held little interest. The one who played really well was Cam Pring and has been doing, certainly, in the last few matches. Worked for every ball with some great defending. TGH not his usual self at all, Tanner seems stuck with the reverse pass and doesn’t look happy in that position. I think being up front as a lone striker is not a good match for Tommy, too much of a responsibility, his confidence seems low and the one real chance he had, he blew it. He’s lost a lot of his bravado( for want of a better word). Pair him up with Wells where he had previously played very well. It just all feels over managed, there’s little consistency from one game to the next and little individual prowess or spontaneity.

I’m not sure at all about that Harry. Conway had only just come back from injury. Bell has definitely underperformed more since Manning and I really can’t agree Vyner being way out of form before his arrival, everyone was singing Zac’s praises NP had turned him right round. It’s only been in the previous 3/4 games that he send to be slipping back to some of his old ways. its certainly true we all watch the same game, but we don’t see it the same way

That’s it that many of us saw the bigger picture where NP was concerned.

Yes I’d agree with most of what you’ve said. I think we saw a manager who was persevering despite a lot of very challenging situations, but still somehow putting out a team who seemed to want to play for him. I think the accolades that have become apparent of how Nige conducted himself behind the scenes, with staff who play more minor roles in the functioning of BCFC, has added to the fan’s holding him in high regard. I don’t think many people will remember him for his results, but for his general integrity and seemingly being completely up front about things which I for one found very refreshing. So when many fans say they want Nige back I’d say it’s more about the stability he gave and that with or without results, we trusted him.

I think you’re right but I think the changes happened slowly from the Christmas (last), up to then I think he definitely didn’t have the majority of fans on board. I think what happened was a slow but steady realisation by fans, of what and who NP was, what’s he was dedicating himself to, his slowly building and successfully (albeit more often in the dressing room) growing a whole team approach. I think the weeks before the sacking heightened that realisation and an awareness that NP was basically the manager and mouthpiece of the club as a whole and I think we all realised just what he’d managed to do across the board during his time here. The sacking and the nature of it really was the last straw.

What a brilliant observation. What’s important here is as you say; “if you had the callibre of players to pull that off” Not only an experienced manager would have taken the job, but actually Nige would have pulled it off! What Nige was, as your earlier comment suggests, “a father like figure” and I think (have no idea if there’s any truth in this) that perhaps some of the players, especially the younger ones are finding the transition to a less than “father like figure” pretty difficult. If Nige was getting the best from the players we have and played to their strengths, the current overload of information and less intuitive, spontaneous position retaining tactics, will be a difficult ask and certainly not a quick result. Observing what the team were already doing well, not trying to change the culture of an already together team spirit, would have allowed Manning to see what actually needed changing and what didn’t.

Possibly so, but it’s only recently that Bell’s name is popping up in the negative, in a way I don’t remember before. You might expect Conway to take time after injury to settle, particularly when in the midst of that his manager is sacked but there’s something else. For Tommy he doesn’t have the experience yet to lead up front and I don’t anything in recent works disproves that. He does work better with Wells but I’d suggest he’d work better as a two up front anyway not just because it’s Wells.

Ah right thanks for that. Thanks for that.

Haven’t had time to read everything so sorry if this has been said before. Something that appears to be happening in my opinion,particular to the young players Tanner,Bell and Conway, is they seem to have really lost all confidence. We’ve seen all 3 of these players play some really good/great football under Pearson, but it makes me wonder if it’s a case of information overload. Where’s their spontaneity. There’s a rigid inflexibility in holding their positions. Leaving them a little clueless at times. I’m not suggesting it’s Manning’s fault, but something has changed and it’s not for the better.

Yeah need a few more like that

Well my opinion fwiw is this. If we had won today I think overall we played ok and enough to win. Tbf the last twenty minutes were all City and Norwich’s goal definitely came against the run of play. It felt to me that players were quite rigid in their positioning, in fact everyone except TGH (why oh why was he subbed) kept their positions to the point of inflexibility. Dickie who was my man of the match at the last home game, seemed to stick like glue behind the mid line today. At the last home game he was taking the ball much further forward and really created some great play. Sykes is so much better on that right side and ok maybe LM may not have our experience of that. If the play continues and losses likewise, it will mean one thing to me and that’s, that it does strongly suggest that it wasn’t NP that was the problem, it was everything that people here and elsewhere have suggested. Lack of investment and lack backing forPearson, from the board in a psychological sense. He knew they weren’t behind him. The board had to give the top six nonsense because they had to have an excuse to sack NP, to give the impression that he wasn’t achieving top six football .

Under Pearson

Your comments don’t surprise me, sadly. I have 8 teachers in my immediate and extended family and what they describe about school aged kids, is a very lost and misguided generation. Exposed to so much more than we ever were, there’s no time for being a child, the line between parents and children is becoming more and more blurred and respect for others has been lost under an ethos of me, me, me and my feelings and my wants and my truth and my particular notions of what’s offensive. Half of them are so confused about who and what they are, they turn to social media in place of parents or those who could actually help and guide them. Teachers are being used to allow all sorts to go on in schools that shouldn’t and whilst a lot of kids are leaving school with good grades they are really lacking in some very basic skills. I know in this case the louts were suggested to be in their 60s, but it really is a worry.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not worthy of comment. I can’t see that it being the first or of many away day matches, the post is still worthy of comment, it shouldn’t be something people get used to and shrug off. You don’t get so used to it, to the point of it no longer being shameful.

I can understand your frustration because of what was muted by JL etc. but just to play devil’s advocate for a moment , I would say that you’re presuming that the style of play we saw on Saturday for much of the first half, is the finished article. Maybe he’s going back to basics, retaining the ball, possession and ultimately control, reminding players the answer isn’t always passing forward, especially at the risk of losing the ball, wouldn’t some fans be then moaning that we give the ball away to cheaply? The play we saw also doesn’t mean that the front foot, forward, attacking football won’t follow. Perhaps in studying our style of play, which I’m sure he’s done, Manning has seen it’s an area that needs improvement . As to the comments that fans got a bit negative/frustrated with the first half an hour or so. I think in fairness it’s not surprising, given that the ultimate in entertainment at a match, is seeing your team score, we want the excitement of seeing our team creating opportunities. I believe if we continue to play this possession football, but end up winning more games, the moaning will soon stop, because fans will see it has value.

Yeah bore them into submission/defeat .It’s a novel footballing technique

Was going to say. As seemingly tedious as the first twenty minutes or so was, perhaps it’s what we need to learn to do first, keep possession, get comfortable moving the ball around, wearing the opposition out. Get used to being in control. After gaining confidence in that way, we then learn how to find those channels, when it’s the right time to move forward, to attack. I’m happy to wait and see how the process works. Similarly as Southport Red says I support the team, no matter who is managing, they’re the ones I go and see and give my support to come what may. Manning has a good baseline, inherited from Pearson, a team that clearly wants to play and a great work ethic, so let’s hope he can not work on that final third.