Marv Smyth

Me and the boy like Max, always have, even when he was waiting behind Bent’s to get some chances/ game time, we always thought he’d end up as our first choice keeper. We both sit in the South Stand, right behind the goal, and yeah he makes some mistakes, but often it is when he is trying to distribute the ball quickly/ to catch teams on the counter… Agree with most on here, he defo needs some real competition from the bench, but can’t remember when he last missed a game, and he totally deserves his place in the team. Oh, and he gave the boy one of his gloves a few games back - star!

Me and the boy enjoyed the game yesterday. Like many on here have said, we were at them from the start, showing a level of intent that has been missing in recent games. We were surprised that Vardy couldn’t hit a cows arse with a banjo, and equally surprised when Anis scored that belter (really glad for him - want him to kick on and do well). After the game, as we were exiting the south stand, a lone supporter was chanting ‘Liam Mannings Cider Army’…..not surprised at all that it didn’t catch on…..as my boy (aged 13) pointed out “most folk just aren’t there yet!”

RL did (very nicely) pick up on the point of goals, and (quite rightly) couldn’t see where there were going to come from in our current squad. Also, like many, he pointed out that you can’t succeed if you keep getting rid of your best players, and don’t replace them! We don’t have that 20 goal in a season individual, which a decent club needs (although one (now missing) Austrian, was that guy not long back), and we certainly do not have two (or three) strikers in our squad capable of scoring 45 goals between them! So far this season we have: Tommy with 9, JK with 7, SB with 5, NW with 4, and HC with 3……it is just not enough. We do have goals coming from other areas too (RD with 5, MS with 5 which is great), but the current league table ‘goals for’ indicates that we are a team that is 25 to 30 goals (ish) away from being a play-offs contender/ side. Whether we keep or lose any of our current strikers (I would love Tommy to stay (but I get that he probably won’t)), we need a new one, and we need a good one!

Took the family (4 of us) to Wembley a few years back - 2019 for the Euros qualifier v Bulgaria (paid for decent seats (mid level on the half way line)), and paid for parking nearby. All in, not crazy expensive but still a few hundred quid. 4:0 win (Kane with 3), so even though the atmosphere was a bit flat, it was a decent day out. What really made it though, was that we got there early (as you do with kids in tow) and bumped into the legend that is Glenn Hoddle (he was doing the commentary with Clive Tyldesley) - he’d had a heart attach the year before, while on BT Sport and had only just made a return to TV. He was more than happy to stop and chat to us/ pose for pics etc. Total gent, top bloke….really made our day!

Steve being around may indicate that the current downturn, is causing him investment concerns. It is no secret that he is looking for investors in the Bristol Sport Empire (https://thebristolmag.co.uk/lansdowns-legacy-in-conversation-with-stephen-lansdown-cbe/), after all, this is what his Financial Services company does - it brings in investors. Potential investors would want to understand how the club is going to grow, and ultimately make them a profit! Until recently (last October ish), I think that the plan for the future was working, and it was probably an easy pitch to potential investors. Now, not so much. SL/ JL/ BT going nowhere, and I don’t think that there will be any admission of getting things wrong, but I don’t think SL will want to double down on the current downturn….. So, someone has to take the blame….. and that only leaves LM in the frame!

Great post this. With minor exceptions and for the majority of the game, the biggest difference I am seeing on match day, is that the players now seem full of self doubt, and lack the confidence they previously had to get at teams. This is almost certainly down to the coaching and tactics.

Yeah mate - we discussed that too - and came to the conclusion that we are both just suckers for punishment

Defo gonna renew - not happy about the current set up, boring football, or direction the club is going in, but I talked it through with my kid (he is not happy with those things either) - but it is quality time me and him have before, sometimes during, and after the game - which neither of us want to lose.

Yeah - LM is not under any real pressure (following the win on Sunday), and JP presented him with a great opportunity to talk about (dare I say take some accountability for) the poor run beforehand, and he didn’t. Switched off at that point.

Accountability: Like many, I am now completely ignoring the pre and post match pressers, the poor questions and LM’s responses, make them very difficult to listen too. I do think that, pre and post match, he needs to demonstrate greater accountability, because win or lose, he is at least jointly accountable for the performance, and this needs to start right now, otherwise he risks losing the Fans and (possibly) the players. Results: Separately, as ashton_fan said, with a few exceptions, home performances have been dire for a while (both prior to and post LM coming on board). I don’t blame him, for how the club dealt with NP/ or how they appointed him, but he was recruited to realise certain goals (improvement/ top six/ better style of play/ more points than last season/ whatever) - so our results need to improve, but I think he needs (and will get) the summer to try and achieve that.

Unless I am mistaken they have only failed to score in four of their games since December, but their -11 GD tells you that they are no strangers to conceding goals too! So I reckon we can (and will) win on Sunday, I do worry about going a goal down first, because (IMHO) following this bad run, the confidence levels will be low. Regardless, I will do my best to get behind the team. Win or lose at the weekend, I just want to see the lads go for it, and I want to see LM respond to any in game changes and substitutions made by them.

I am not sure that LM see’s himself as being under development, or needing any development, or doing anything wrong. His post match interviews may not be inspiring (I can live with that), but they also lack the level of accountability I would expect from the Coach. The result is that he comes across a bit arrogant, as though there is nothing wrong with the coaching at all (a view/ theme that has appeared on a few posts). Surely the players watch the post match interviews (I know I would), and unless they are being told something entirely different, and even if they are, I can’t imagine them being too impressed. First time post so tin hat on!