Cole Not Gas

I was sorry to see the footballing skills of Jay move to Coventry where he and Palmer have become two of the more consistent Sky Blues team. But yesterday's ball skills of Roberts makes me think this lad could be a real star for us next season. How much did he cost and do you see him playing in front or behind Pring?

All the experts predicted Blades, Clarets and Luton to come back down to our league. Clearly it is now those 3 from 4 with court room decisions still to be made until late May but watching Burnley cut Man U apart on MoTD begs this question; If Burnley keep most or all of their current players as their foreign owners promise how well will they do next season in the Championship? Might they be promoted by February and go on to break Championship points and goals records? Frightening!

Really good question but i liked his goal for Derby yesterday and any Ram you speak to thinks highly of him. Under, Liam we have seen Twine shine and Anis pose a real threat with goals and assists. We also have Knight and Skyes who can play attacking roles from midfield forwards with Bell still to come back from injury.

A lot of permutations and i dont know but this is one of the most exciting conundrums for the management to resolve over the summer. Great question

On 21/04/2024 at 19:12, Red Billy said:

Managers hide behind a set of set answers to what is typically the same set of questions. If they deviate from that - aka Troy Deeney - they usually get the sack. As much as we would like managers to speak the truth - we can’t handle the truth!

At last, the perfect answer. I agree 100%

1 hour ago, Lorenzos Only Goal said:

Although I'm far from impressed with Manning I think the upturn in results has earned him some breathing space.  That said I really hope the summer goes well, as I've got a bad feeling, if the first ten results of next season show some progress or signs of progress I'll be happy.  But signs of further regression and I think I might lose my shit.

Do what? What would have impressed you in any manager having to take over a Pearson (basket) case 6 months ago? The summer will go well because the club (ie owners & senior, respected managers will back Liam) so you have no reason to have a bad feeling. And what the hell do you mean by regression? Since when, since Cotts or since Johnson? There has been zero regression since Pearson lef; the players are happier, the cup run, we beat or draw with top teams, we smash poor teams etc etc - sometimes the negativity of you (and others) posts is simply baffling. What regression can you possibly mean?

41 minutes ago, Pip King said:

Is it fair to say him and Anis have been the biggest improvements under Manning? I'd say so 

Yes, but along with Max whose keeping and kicking improved from October, Tanner who has arguably been the most improved outfield player since October, Pringo, Williams, Cornick, and defo Wells. In fact its not easy to find players who havent improved with a coach who all the players like and respect

7 minutes ago, Charlie BCFC said:

Because there’s some weird rule that you’re not allowed to praise Tinnion on this forum because of what happened with Pearson mate 

There is no such rule; the vast (90%+ IMO) majority of City fans love Tinnion and see through this parochial anti-City brigade who frequently occupy OTIB. Pearson was solely responsible for his own demise whatever his little fan club would like to say.

Back to the thread, Roberts has shown skill and versatility in the past few months and fully deserves the right to start.

After yet another great tactical performance against a team that could easily be in the Premier next season (Saints, Leicester, West Ham, Forest etc) we can look forward to a stream of positive comments on here!!

30 minutes ago, eardun said:

Him coming into the team in this position v Leicester could turn out to be a master stroke that benefits us for the long-term. I don’t think anyone was expecting it even when the line-up was announced that day. 

Could be like Johnson bringing Bobby R from a reserve / loaned out midfielder to a top striker who still earns his money in the Premier League. Sometimes these clever young coaches get things wrong but strike gold too

What is it with managers' soundbites? We had loads under both Johnsons, Pearson must have said he was frustrated in 50 post-match interviews and Liam is forever talking about 'In Terms of' and 'the process' - enough to do one's head in listening to these guys.

Today on TalkSport, Mark Robins was also banging on about 'the process' ahead of Cov's game with Man Utd. I'm sure Cov fans love Robins for what he has done at one of the worst-run clubs in our league and I would have liked him to have been appointed when Deano had to go. Good luck to them this weekend but enough of 'the process'. It is football management.

Saw him for Burnley several times and also for Derby where he was rather petulant. Used to get kicked out of games in those days; a sorry day for Welsh football

On 17/04/2024 at 10:48, BrizzleRed said:

Thanks and fair shout for the answer.

The issue for me is, you can see oddities in early season, where teams can string some early results together and find themselves at the top end of the table, but can ultimately fall off very quickly as the season pans out.  It’s not unheard of for teams to make the early running and end up fighting relegation by the end of the season.

I was taking a lot of interest in the Oxford forum and there were a good number who weren’t too optimistic that the early form would last.  They were also making similar comments about drab, boring football.

We really can’t put much weight on a short period at the start of the season at Oxford, particularly when you consider what happened during his second season at MK.  It’s no use him saying it was due to losing a couple of his best players, as that’s par for the course at our club, so he needs to be able to work with that.

Any sane City fans will want to see him succeed at our club, as we all benefit from that.  That’s a very different from your apparent blind faith in him and claiming he’s a far better option than Pearson, whilst their respective records and circumstances tell a very different story.  He could possibly turn out to be a gem, but there’s not too much to indicate that so far.  

There is one thing he’s given us evidence of though.  Whilst NP publically stated he wanted to carry on and see this project through, I’d put money on LM being off like a shot if a better offer came in, as Oxford have found out.  I think it looks very likely if he does achieve anything here, he won’t be hanging around long!
 

 

 

 

Well there you go, I agree with everything you mention above and would add a couple of comments which would upset others (i really dont care) but you would respect as my opinion. Many 'fans' on this forum are not sane (on, insane!) and would appear to not want certain managers to succeed, whether it is Lee, Mark A, Deano, Pearson or Liam. 

I for one wanted all to succeed and am the most disappointed with Pearson - lots of reasons but that's another story and based on the highest expectations, as well as the state he left us in. I agree one has to be a madder optimist than me to see too many golden shoots so far with Liam and i 100% agree he will be off if he does well and a better offer comes along. A friend of mine reckons he will manage West Ham inside 2 years.

Most important question is what he does to cull our bloated squad of players simply not good enough to get us to the Top 6, who he brings in to mould into 'his team (remember Pearson had 30 months and was fired without us having proven scorers) and how he continues to outwit coaches of the better teams; - ok, this may be 3 questions, sorry!

On 15/04/2024 at 13:10, BrizzleRed said:

But to be blunt, your opininion is based on a single early season start by Manning at Oxford, when many of the Oxford fans weren’t even convinced he’d keep it up.

Why does that trump all the years of experience Nigel Pearson had in the game?  

I’ve put a question mark there, though past experience tells me you won’t be arsed to answer a question!!!

I will answer. Liam's experience is clearly nowhere near that of Pearson and it cant be for years to come. It certainly doesnt 'trump it' in any way shape or form. I am only referencing Oxford's excellent showing in the early stages of this Oxford season following a summer transfer and training period, so hoping for the same happens for us starting this July.

Although only playing 29 games for us, plus a dozen on loan, Cole was my hero before going on to stardom. He also played at Pompey in 06/07 under 'Arry but now his son Devante is scoring at Fratton Park, maybe dampening their party.  Will be good to see Pompey back at the Gate next season

10 hours ago, phantom said:

Simple answer is watch a different channel 

Phantom, are you a genius? Let me ask another question. Does the fact there is so much football on TV every night make you more or less excited about watching City's one or two games a week live? Answers like Robbored and 22A are different but offer their opinions, whereas yours.....

4 hours ago, YorkshireSection said:

Im sorry but this post just makes me so angry and volatile to those that run this club.

Tinman, Manning may not be what we want/need but the the buck stops at the top.

I know you were one of the 600 at Bradford that night and i wore my Cole not Gas T-shirt to the game and curry house after but I'm really surprised at your reaction above. The people in charge today have made tough decisions re sacking Cotts, keeping LJ when some fans wanted him out, sacking LJ, dealing with Covid-related issues (like zero income), appointing Pearson, getting rid and finding Liam. We are still higher than anything Cotts could get us to. Surely you appreciate SL asked Cotts what he wanted (5 players), backed him, backed him again to get Wilbs and gave us the best season ever in the 3rd tier?

Before clowns start assuming i work for the owner please consider where we have come from since losing at Colchester & Crewe and respond appropriately!

5 hours ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

I'm wondering why you trust Liam Mannings judgement over Nigel Pearson who has developed many players over his career? 

Its from what i've seen in the past 3 years at A.G Clearly a guy in the game for so many years will have more successes than someone new to his trade. But also many more failings. It's like saying Warnock was successful as a manager. Of course he had successes but he had a more than a dozen failings that can be easily forgotten. Someone new like Liam has only had one sign of success (Oxford) and is too you to have failed. My judgement is an opinion just the same as yours. We will have to wait and see

I get that and it is for many other fans too. I just like Sat 3pm and a full mid-week fixture list occasionally; Tues/Wed;

TV certainly calling the shots

The top 4 still trying to sort Automatic positions is quite interesting even though i dont like any of them, especially Leeds. Looking at Championship saturation as a pre-match discussion yesterday, a mate pointed out what dates coming up had football in our league on offer;

20th   21st   22nd   23rd   24th   26th   27th   29th   30th.  Do you like to follow Championship football (nearly) every day or is it getting too much?

To Pearson's credit, he gave the lad a decent chance and kept him involved in what seems a fair combination of bench and starts. I'd trust Liam's judgement and we have Tinman seeing him develop under both coaches so Bath is probably his level rather than the Championship - but who knows? He could have a good summer and be part of a big squad where we will have a lot of potential wide players; they cant all make it.

Great to see Boom Boom in the Lansdown yesterday with the good seats the man deserves. He'll do a good job if he goes into the 'hospitality' role as do Sir Geoff, Tom, Cheese, Big D and others. It is great to see and talk to these guys so many years on from when they were wearing the shirt. I loved that tackle at Carlisle - wish someone could find it somehow.

More recently i liked Flint chasing down Lukaku in one of the best nights this Millenium and what players they had that night; Ibrah, Martial, Rashford (waster who got booked!), Pogba, McTominay. CoYRs

7 hours ago, Street red said:

I won't be renewing and no I'm not delighted, Winning games when the pressure is off is hardly the motivation I need to renew. 

Free world but if you're not delighted with last night, an improving young team, a club stable in the table and never looking like a relegation fight then perhaps it is time to say farewell. Best wishes

7 hours ago, johnbytheriver said:

Max is 27? i think!

Really? Happy to be corrected. I guess my main point is we have lots to look forward with the starting 11 being younger than many other teams; the older players at Ewood Park really looked poor and for those few still complaining about our 'lot' being mid-table and stable it should make them think. Gallagher and Smodics are both better than average Championship players but we made them look like Downs lads

5 hours ago, Red-Robbo said:

I think we played very well as a unit - you don't really criticise anyone much after a result like that. Vyner made a couple of howlers in the game, but Blackburn couldn't make much of them. But, like Syksey, he played his part in the win and overall, he's a positive, as ever. 

Interesting you pick out those two. Like everyone sitting around me, i think the players have looked far more 'on-it' and 'intelligent' since Liam came in. However, these two are important exceptions; i think Vyner was brilliant under Pearson and Skyes was at his most dangerous then rather than since October. In Zak's defense one of Liam's great tactics last night was to play the long ball against a suspect defence and several paid off- two didnt but that's the nature of a higher risk, longer pass. As you say, no strong criticism last night - especially the manager's subs! 3 goals and an assist in short time

28 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

We won't win 5-0 on Saturday, we might win but it won't be that one sided. Huddersfield will 100% compete and conceded four on Tuesday chasing the game at the end whereas I don't know even know where to begin describing Blackburn's output last night. If you had transported a Premier League glory supporter to the Gate and said one team needed the points and the other had nowt to play for they would have made an obvious and wrong choice. If I was the Blackburn Keeper I would have went back to the dressing room and slapped all three centre halves who "played" last night because, notwithstanding the fact we pressed superbly at times, I haven't seen anything that bad at this level in years.

100% right. It is early goals that deflate struggling teams so hopefully Liam will again set up to press high, force mistakes and then take advantage. 

8 hours ago, And Its Smith said:

Surely not…. League one keeper innee?!

Yes, love the irony. So many on here used him as Pearson's scapegoat and called him league 1.

I will be delighted for him if we got a big fee as i dont see many other answers for balancing the books without selling one or two. If we dont need to sell, then he will be the pillar of our push for top half/top 6 next season; love it also that he is local. He is well protected by the CB pairing Pearson nurtured and this should always be noted so i believe keeping those two here and fit is a major consideration too