headhunter

But we also have Jason Euell as a forward coach; based on career goals / appearances Nahki would be an upgrade. The "settled in Brizzle" - comfy club mentality worryingly could come in to play. He's 30, hasn't played for almost a year ...... we offer him at half his previous wage, his best alternative is 20% higher than that, methinks he could live with our lower number and have less pressure for 3 years; cynical old *ugger aren't I!

Is our Czech international available for any of the games before the window opens? What's the latest injury update or is there more to it? If not then that means he's been out for 10 months and no one will buy him in January. There was a large outcry when Fam walked, by being OOC, in the summer of 2021 - a £5.3M signing of whom our then CEO, Mark Ashton, famously said "we'll get our value on the pitch" after the Senegalese international would not sign a new deal. The situation with Kalas is worse in the sense that the club will get nothing for the player who at £8.5M is THE record signing and who ,since he's been in the treatment room, has cost us a best estimate £1M in wages. Sadly another example of the profligacy of the club in the Ashton years. Nahki too is OOC in the summer another high value acquisition but if he goes, good luck to him. He's been injury free and the model professional despite being frozen out by NP last season. As his strike partner in the U21s he helped Conway develop to the player he's become and is now a definite starter for me with 8 goals this campaign playing in his best position. To me, it would make sense for the club to declare before the window opens whether fresh terms have been offered to any of the Summer 2023 OOC players - so far only HNM who is being sidelined for not signing!

If we had got Rinomhota how would you line up and assume that's with no Kalas nor Wilson, out through injury? Interested to see shape of side.

Dave, are you condoning the "throw under the bus" implication directed as near as possible in the direction of Atkinson? You are veering too far in your defence of Pearson! Even on FBC today we [and it was led by Ian] made a conscious effort to look at form, not just one off results with City in 14th for both the past 6 & 10 games which is just about where we reckon we "are". This site is going to be toxic if three weeks today we are in the bottom 3 and out of the cup.

https://foreverbristolcity.podbean.com/e/stoke-h-the-verdict-play-offs-not-out-of-the-question/ [Also on Spotify, Apple & Google] Opening title comment made somewhat tongue in cheek!! This has become more about Pearson's comments on "trust". Who would have thought 6 months ago that Zak Vyner would now be seen as the first choice central defender?! Fair play to him plus Pring & Wells too who both did OK yesterday At 3.45 I looked at the league table and thought, hang on to the three points and we're just 4 points off the play offs but the eventual defeat and aspects of our performance sees us looking over our shoulders rather than upwards. A flat atmosphere came to life with Scott's shot that was saved then the Wells, Weimann 1-2 that saw the Austrian hit the post when a goal would have been a just outcome. The goal from Wells, his 8th, was down to a superb cross from Pring. More of this please 45+2 and King loses out in a challenge that a recognised central defender would have cleared and the same naturally attacking midfielder hashed his clearance on the hour with James unable to reach the ball and the Stoke striker pounced to score the winner. We had chances to draw level but never tested the keeper. The main talking point however was the content of Pearson's post match interview with BBC's Ali Durden in which our manager publicly threw under the bus the defender he paid £1.6M for with his "need to have players I can trust" comment as justification for selecting King. Atkinson & Klose didn't make the matchday 18, Tanner made way for Vyner when it would have made more sense to play Tanner at RWB rather than Weimann. But then how do you accommodate the Austrian without leaving out Scott or one of Conway or Wells. Ian & DaveP analyse the situation and are in agreement in their lack of confidence in Pearson to spend wisely any money he might have in January. Can City deny WBA a sixth successive win on Boxing Day? Not impossible in this division where the margins between success and failure are finer than usual. How will everyone feel if three weeks today we are out of the cup and in the bottom 3?

No one in particular, I was just throwing the comment out there! No complaints from you today then?

Hey Graham, listen to the pod tomorrow at 10 and you'll have a load of ammo to wade in with your usual assassination of OUR opinions! ?

Is this not a poor indictment of Pearson managerial capability 88 games into his time as boss? The alternative view is that the players are a bunch of wasters just picking up a wage

Two seasons actually:13/14 & 14/15 Btw, twas the pits today

His first was through his own net in a 0-6 at Tranmere on a Friday in late Sept. Recovered well after that.

Something a bit random to listen to as we start the build up to World Cup success [perhaps] and City's big revival which gets underway next weekend: https://foreverbristolcity.podbean.com/e/in-conversation-with-dave-rennie-the-player-1989-92/ [Also on Google, Apple & Spotify] Anyone who was around at the time will have fond memories of the 89/90 promotion season when Dave Rennie formed half of a midfield pairing alongside the irrepressible Gary Shelton. Manager Joe Jordan signed Rennie from Leeds United in the summer of 89 and he went on to play 104 games for the club scoring 8 goals. He left in the 93 close season for Birmingham City before enjoying 4 seasons in the Premier League with Coventry City. Who remembers those corner routines in 89/90: pinpoint corner from Gavin to Rennie at the near post for a back header which often found Taylor or Turner ready to pounce! Hope you enjoy this interesting chat with Dave who viewed football very much as a job rather than an all consuming passion

Looks a decent line up. I'd be minded to put Naismith in the middle at the expense of Williams which would allow Atkinson to move across one space and accommodate Pring.

Happy with how things are Henry? If you've nothing constructive to say, don't listen and just **ss off.

Here's what we recorded earlier: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-f2k4h-130d531 Nothing knee-jerk in our reaction. Something does need to change and it might be an idea to flex our formation. Don't always put a link on here. We did for the wins. Weird that you always find a reason to criticise in some way - we're living rent free in your mind!!

We're recording the Pod live at 11.15 and we'll try so hard to take a positive view. Here's the link to listen live & have your say: https://www.podbean.com/lsw/voj3TKjf6G?lsid=wLRROsqgu83 The recording will be available on Apple, Spotify & Google from 1.00 PM and a link to listen will be posted later in this thread. Was it right to make so many changes ..... did we see enough of Bajic to take a view on his ability ..... should Klose have played right in the 3 to allow the inexperienced Low to play in his preferred central role .... is Semenyo's mind elsewhere .... does Chris Martin have anything to offer any more ..... how does Nigel lift the team when he speaks of players "copping out" or "lacking moral fibre" .... is Watford now a must win game or would a draw calm everyone down going into the World Cup break? Pose us some questions you'd like answered

Never let it be said that we are wholly negative on this podcast after arch-critic Ian Gay came up with the quote in the title of our latest episode which you can listen to here or on Spotify, Google or Apple: https://foreverbristolcity.podbean.com/e/sheff-utd-h-the-verdict-sheffield-steal-spoils/ In this topsy turvy division I guess anything is possible but Ian's positive view is surely a minority one? DaveP hosts Neil, Ian & Mark in discussing how City played well again but again failed to be rewarded for their efforts. Another sloppy goal conceded, a misfiring forward line but the woodwork hit twice and Alex Scott perhaps back to his best. Disgraceful performance from ref in 2nd half and shithousery from Sheffield of the highest order although, as Ian put it, is game management when we do it! We remain a work in progress but should we be looking over our shoulders at the chasing pack whilst still believing a play off place is still there for the taking. We look forward to the 3 games before the World Cup break and, assuming everyone is fit in December how should Kal Naismith be accommodated as "reliable defender" he is not

Excellent interview and this paragraph summed up why as a club aren't where we should be: “I just felt it was a nice club, nice people, nice this and that, lovely city. Everything was nice. We needed to be more street-wise, have more of a competitive edge to us. We can still be a welcoming club but we also need to be a club that other teams don’t like playing.”

Really grateful to all those on this thread who have come to our defence to counter those [you know who you are!] who pile in with all the criticism which is in the main aimed at Ian who is without doubt a marmite character. If you don't like the sound of his voice don't listen and that applies to a posse of those for whom I have to chuckle at the fact that Ian is living rent free in your heads!! A particular thank you to aa_bcfc for this

Bollom was a dry cleaners

https://foreverbristolcity.podbean.com/e/reading-a-the-verdict-you-ve-heard-it-all-before/ [also on Google, Spotify & Apple] Ian, Mark & Dave P review the action from Reading. Naturally disappointed after the good win at WBA and feeling very downbeat without being knee jerk in our reaction. We're worried about the falling value of our stars and had no inside knowledge when recording at 6 PM that Gould was going to be on his way!!!

I wish I shared aspects of your optimism but your making excuses for mediocrity too

It's NOT 2.5 years, he arrived February 2021. Listen to a live recording of the FBC Podcast at 10.00 for our verdict: https://www.podbean.com/lsw/voj3TKjf6G?lsid=MoVV7iW5FLG

Posed the question on Twitter [ @ForeverBristol1 ] and the general view is he has played in midfield. I may have listed him right side but looking at the team line up I suggested to much ridicule on here he or Williams could play in front of the back 4 in a 4-1-3-2. Just my opinion, that's all

But he HAS played in that position and can last 90 minutes unlike King and his occasional lapses in concentration are less critical there and on this latter trait the same could be said of Naismith. Zak's committed too, unlike [reading between the lines]some are viewing HNM's recent performances. Zak apart though are you seeing how that line up might work. Unlikely to leak goals like a sieve IMHO. Weimann & Semenyo on for the 2nd half after Conway & Wells have put 90 minutes effort into 45.

I wouldn't be fussed if Martin never pulled on a City short again and, as I replied to someone else earlier in this thread, it was said in the context of referring to some who said on here perhaps Weimann is less effective because the very successful W-S-M of last season has been dismantled. On the second point, we are repeatedly reminded that we cannot afford loan players which leaves us trying more kids as the only remaining option. Pearson seems wedded to a particular formation which I believe is replicated in the U21s but I believe he ought to try something different like this: [he won't of course] Bentley Tanner Klose Atkinson Pring Vyner Scott Williams Naismith [or JD] Conway Wells Its a basic 4-4-2 ; Vyner has played central midfield ; Naismith has played wide left many times in his career and whilst injured JD can fill in although his crossing is crap!