Rich

I agree, that team should relate to a mid table position. Here's a question though, how often have we been able to field that team, or any other equivalent team on a regular basis? I'm sure there's a stato out there than can tell us when we've actually been able to field the same team for more than two matches and, if we have, was it a strong enough team to be mid table.

Just like officials, we're seen as easy meat to people that want to accuse us of anything, as we don't kick up a fuss. As Talkyfarm (no offence) says, perhaps it runs right through the club, rubs off from the fans to the players. I'm certain they get an easier ride here than if they went oop north.

Yes it does make sense. Strange how there's a different sort of Bristolian north of the river. Bring back a few Scots to toughen us up a bit I say.

You probably won't agree with this but, I believe there are teams that win penalties because of the way they play and the constant pressure they put on officials by their players coaches and fans. Fergie time is an example of getting a slight advantage from officials. I would also suggest a club not too far from us having a claim mentality, especially the touchline area close to their dug outs. As many people have alluded to over the years, we are just too nice a club and have failed against so many teams and their use of the dark arts, some call it naivety others being too honest. You can watch a match and after about three shouts for a penalty or a free kick you can bet your sweet betty that one is awarded by the ref. Especially when the crowd are also shouting for every decision to go their way. I personally think it's much easier for a ref to award a penalty against us, than one for us because of the pressure/reaction of the players, management and supporters of the opposition. So, I agree with you that it's just not been our way, in one respect but, do think we make it too easy for officials to avoid giving them to us.

I rate him because others don't see the problems, just the results and performance. They don't see or take into account the problems he's had to deal with. I'm sure he would have made some other decisions based on hindsight and, some decisions seem erratic but, sometimes you need to shake things up a bit and then take stock of the fall out. His recruitment so far has been hampered by a severe lack of money and at the same time having to cut the wage bill. Numerous players are earning way over an acceptable level for our financial position and are proving difficult to move on, as a result. He's actually brought in five players, I think and resigned Baker and Weimann. One has since left the club, another three are long term injured and one probably forced to retire. Three of the other remaining have also suffered long periods on the sideline, with only Weimann playing the majority of games. So one player from seven available for selection out of seven signings. The remaining players are as expected, mostly young, inexperienced, or not up to the quality required at this moment in their careers, some won't ever be. That leaves us with a forward that is getting on and not as mobile as we'd like, a centre back who's evidently been overused and carrying injuries, two keepers that there are question marks about, a supposed top striker that our style of play doesn't suit and a couple more that appear to have not had the required attitude demanded by the manager. So, in a nutshell, we've had inconsistent performances due to injuries, loss of form, young players inconsistency and the manager having to change formation and selection on a match to match basis due to a constant list of injured players. If you can't see those things, affect the team, it's performances and ultimately results, then you must be looking through a fog brought on by your dislike of Pearson. Don't confuse arrogance with having the confidence in your own ability, to be able to point out the things that are genuinely wrong.

A strange perception of things. You state that S L surrounds himself with yes men. You state that a hobby chairman then employs a football man to run the show and, that we have no such football man. Pearson is certainly not a yes man and, I would argue that he is a trusted football man, employed by S L for his guidance. That's what has enabled him to make tough decisions, use his experience to tell where things are not right. Then when he does identify those things, you call him an ego driven dinosaur. It's obvious that you don't like him, probably based on the fact that we're not wining games you think we should, with the tools available to him. I'm of the belief that those tools are blunt and of lower quality than the tools we invested heavily in, paying Dewalt prices, and getting a yellow copy from Wilko. In my opinion, I expect Pearson to stay at the club as an overseer/DOF and SL will again employ a young hungry coach that does what he's told and works within certain parameters. Then when the dust settles, Pearson will be removed and we'll have the old LJ scenario again.

I've refused to go and watch Rovers since they "acquired" the ground from the rugby club. You have to be able to sleep at night and make the right moral decision.

That's the most sensible thing I've ever seen from you.

You can have the best coaches in the world but, if players are being blocked, players aren't reacting and there doesn't appear to be the same desire to win the battle over the opposition, then the opposition will prevail. I didn't see the sheer desire and will to beat the opposite number when we were defending set pieces last night. People are saying, are Barnley's players better than ours and answering no, well I disagree, individually possibly but, they do have some gifted mobile players and an attacker who knows how to dominate. I think their defenders were better than our attackers and their attackers were better than our defenders and that's why they came out on top. Simple really.?

S L likes to be proven right. He appoints fans favourites when in dire situations and appoints his favourites when the going is good. Ultimately it all ends in abject failure.

Have you seen those photos? I thought the court judgement stopped them being reproduced.

I completed it. It actually felt as if it was quite well planned and not the usual survey which gives the results the survey wants. There's plenty of options for criticism, equally for praise, on a varied amount of subjects. It takes a while but, worth doing in my opinion.

I use the term "dicked" as beaten.

All possible but, how likely? I think we're scratching to find a definite three points, maybe scrape a couple of draws and hope for an unexpected win. In reality, we expected a couple of home wins against Coventry and Brum, but got dicked. Fingers crossed.

In response to one part of your question, regarding whether other managers could have got more out of this group. I honestly think NP could have got more out of them results wise but, he seems to have been sorting the fringe players and making decisions on their long term future. Ultimately, they've now been left out and replaced by others, to see if he thinks they might have a future. We all seemed to agree that Vyner would/could be a decent squad player filling multiple roles, that appears to have been decided that he won't. Because of inconsistencies, that right defensive area has proven to be a nightmare sorting out, affecting other areas in the process. The same can be said of the left side to a lesser degree. Add in constant changes to the centre of midfield and defence due to injuries and it's no wonder we're in a bit of a pickle. The only consistency in selection has been the strikers, which improved slightly when Semenyo returned from injury. So what I think I'm saying is, that NP has been focused on two things, gaining sufficient points for safety and still sorting the wheat from the chaff. He's obviously confident enough to know that his job would be safe, while he does that. That might not be what the owner thinks though.

Beat me to it Mark.

Don't like Bergerac. A nice Merlot or Malbec would be my choice.

Might just take longer for the liquid level to dry up. If it's the opposite, then forego the baking section and go straight to the varnish part of the instructions.

A vivid practical imagination.

I can drop one off for you, if you'd like. I don't have that long.

I did it twice. ?

It needs to be quite precise to obtain the level of glossy appearance.

I disagree. Bake it in the oven at 250 degrees C for one hour twenty minutes. Leave to cool for twenty four hours. Apply one coat of yacht varnish, diluted with turps at 50%, followed by another three undiluted coats with a minimum of four hours between coats. Leave for twenty four hours. At this point bring out the pledge and polish to your hearts content.

Think that's a whoosh. Reference to individual Russian sportsmen.

A bit pessimistic perhaps but, I can see us winning only one of our remaining fixtures, especially how we've been capitulating lately. That fixture is against Peterborough and, I wouldn't feel too confident about beating them either, especially after another four virtually guaranteed defeats, based on our current form. Hoping to scab another win from somewhere, just don't see where from.