TomThumb84

Biggest shock here is that we are still surprised that we have a number of “fans” that know very little about football. I know thats the case in a lot of clubs but we seem to have more than our share. A topic for another day maybe, but we talk alot about the “culture” of our football club not being right, well there is an argument to say that about our fanbase too, and how fickle we can be. I wonder how wanted footballers feel at our club and if that disconnect stops us progressing. Circa 2000 I sat in the Dolman and listened to - “Tony Thorpe is so lazy - apart from scoring he does nothing”. Always stayed with me that!

Great interview. In short this is a plea to us to stick with what he is trying to achieve, and timing is key here as its a very transparent honest interview. I think there may be some tough calls he is making soon and this is a pre-empt for us to understand and stick with. This is also a manager saying not so subtly but in the right way that the entire culture of this football club was rotten and thats not an overnight thing. He is right of course, probably since Joe Jordan left us to be honest. The Cotterill glory era was an anomaly and he almost did it on his own away from the club and bought a set of players for a purpose and they developed their own culture. A glorious set of freak circumstances which of course got cut short when he got reigned back in. Patience with NP whilst is cannot be unlimited is key. He is still untangling the massive mess he inherited.

Great news for us. Not many better we could bring in with the cost restraints we are currently under if we did not renew. Model professional, suffered for joining us when we were a shambles but has never shirked or sulked even when unfairly (in my opinion) scapegoated for our abysmal performances. Great partnership with TC which is exciting to watch continue develop over the next two years. Almost certain that Semenyo is gone I would imagine now.

Semenyo/Wells. What a partnership! ?

Maybe cause he has not had his chosen strike partner to guide him through. Wells/Conway have both been vocal about their partnership on and off the pitch, and had the goals and assists to back it. Feels to me like that partnership was given up on oddly swiftly.

Still no return to the partnership that saw us being touted as playoff contenders then! Maybe there is a start-time agreement with Semenyo or building his value for Jan.

Wells can consider himself hard done by. 5 in 5 and a handful of assists then no starts since QPR.

I agree and Semenyo is better used as an “impact sub” but he will want to start surely? Not sure its a sell.

May have been mentioned elsewhere but I think this is a problem for us. When Wells/Conway were together it was integral to our system and the way we played. All pace and guile and clever runs down the sides in a partnership that just works. There is no science or footballing rationale for it on a personal relationship level. It just happens sometimes. Now, Semenyo has to play. He has to. Why wouldn't he? Especially if we are hoping he stays with us longterm, and if he is not starting, he is off. But it destabilises us, and confuses me. I feel like he has to play, but also feel we are a better unit without him. Its hard. Individually in the Top 2 talents at the club but we just dont click when he starts, in this system. Thats my view. I have made no secret of the fact that I am a massive Nahki Wells fan, and Tommy Conway looks lost without him on the pitch, so this is tough all round. Leave Antoine out? Leave Weimann out? Go back to WSM? Wont work in this formation in my view. No answers to this other than tough ones. I also think in our chosen formation, having two wingbacks that could deliver crosses with menace would help but thats a different thread. Sunday morning musings!!

Tough one this as Semenyo is such a talent but I fear Wells and Conway as a duo are much more of a threat than individually playing with one other. Semenyo may have to be the one we cash in on in Jan. Got to think of the dynamics of the side, and we need to persevere with what has worked for us. The alternative is we return to the Weimann, Semenyo Martin trio but thats a step back on how we are trying to play now and harsh on Wells and Conway.

Agree with this completely. The fortitude he has shown to take the task on with the mess that we were in, and then slowly but surely turning that around to the genuine optimism we find ourselves feeling now, is a testament to him and NP deserves full credit. Particularly with the restraints financially. All done with measured and honest communication and a refreshing lack of soundbite and drama. I hope he is able to bring tangible success as a reward for taking us on when we were in a worse situation than many realised and it could easily have gone the other way. Not there yet but I have long thought NP would do what he is doing now.

Anyone berating Naismith and yet praising our change in fortunes and style is contradicting themselves. The guy is integral to what we are achieving, is the outfield leader and voice, and tempo setter. Yes, there are mistakes in there but with him it enables us to play the way we are. You cannot have one without the other so I suggest we ride it out as I love this side at the moment.

I think we are seeing a very decent centre-forward, who is a consummate professional. How you deem he is overrated because we signed him and have not known how to use him is contradictory and a bit conflicting as its a Mark Ashton thing, not a Nahki Wells thing. Bit of a ranty post if I am honest mate, which does not make much sense. Anyway, all the best and come on you redddddsssssss.

“Always be the overrated symbol of the Ashton age” Like, what?! I rate your posts but this is a bit wild. The guy is spearheading our side. Relax a bit!

Got to go with Wells and Conway. Proper partnership. Semenyo still playing himself out of rust and what a sub he will be in the meantime. I think giving Conway a rest for Semenyo is the option in a couple of weeks, for me Wells has to start with one other. Finally seeing the player we signed.

Hate them. Hate that some Bristolians I know care about them. Hate that there is a thread about them on our Bristol City forum.

Smudger Smith for me. But only in the warm up the keeper pre-game scenario. Got into the game and despite running 60 yards in 7 seconds 9 times he would invariably scuff 80% of his delivery. Loved him mind.

Conway & Scott on the bench? Thats it then, off to Spurs both of them for £30 million combined.

Turner knocks em over and Taylor knocks em in. Those were the days. Wells and TC have a way to go to get to the dizzy heights of our famed “Boys from The County Hell” (as The Bountyhunter once described them I believe), but a great start.

Model professional and good finisher signed by an egomaniac desperate to get any striker in and we had no idea how to use him: Feel for him as he joined us at a time when we are/were a basketcase of a club. Has never moaned, always tried and is a big reason around the emergence of Conway. Ive always liked him. We look a good side with him in it at the moment and thats good enough for me.

Looks like the Gas got properly dealt with tonight. Hopefully mad-dog Joey can go back to slagging off his over-performing no-mark players now and stop making outlandish remarks about catching us when he was clearly delirious after beating 10 man Burton, and scraping past an off-colour Oxford.

A behemoth of a performance. Nathan Jones is that irritating mind he could nause anyone off sufficiently to make them focussed enough to play like Jaap Stam.

We were good tonight. Loved the pace and guile of TC and Nahki, and Naismith, Atkinson and Vyner were a proper unit. 8/10’s all over the pitch. The sending off was an orange card in my view and could have gone either way, but with predictable refs in this league he was always going to walk him. Shame as theres a lot to like about Sykes. Proper win that. Looked like they were together and desperate for it. Oh and a moment I particularly loved was Scotty ditching someone with a lovely sliding tackle, megging the next clown and then narrowly getting his pass wrong. I think he forgot Martin had replaced Conway and was never getting there! You Redssssssss.

Odd selection in my view. Decide to commit to a formation with high wing-backs, sign the League Two player of the year who is an attacking high wing-back, and play a player who spent all pre-season reinventing himself as a “10” at right wing-back. Sykes and Vyner down the right side it is. I also think Conway is effective when with Wells and has talked about the partnership they have struck up. For me you play both (as I would have today) or neither. Ill take a point there today.

Cash in on Scott & Semenyo, get TC & Nakhi up there, plough the money into a defensive midfielder. Could get Rodri for the money we would make (no, not that one again).