italian dave

I’m not even sure Pring gets straight back in after Roberts’ performance last night. I don’t think we’ll see Atkinson this season? But more to the point, it’s no longer about who starts being our 11 best players: it’s about how we best manage game time, fitness etc of our 17 best players, and about how we best use those 17 players to manage the game.

Was it TGH fed the ball to McCrorie? Because that was a great pass too. All in all, a classic counter attack goal.

You’d have a problem if Knight got injured…..

I think what the past few weeks have demonstrated is that it’s no longer about our best 11, it’s about our best 17.

He can spell his name how he likes if he puts in performances like that. I got just about everything wrong before the game, and nothing more so than feeling concerned when I saw Pring out and H in. Couldn't have been more wrong. That was a great performance.

I think their rotatee (or whatever the word is!) did his hamstring again earlier!

It doesn’t mean he’s bring “overlooked”. I would guess he’ll feature at some stage and play his part. And I’d be surprised if Mehmeti played 90 mins

Always believe

Is that last bit predictive text. Or did you just remember what you were supposed to be doing today?

Not even that, I think! He was quite injury prone. He played only 90 odd games in 6 years at Burnley. And as far as I can find out, he picked up an injury that forced his retirement before he’d played a game for us. Seems like our injury curse was ever thus!

Oooohhhs and aaaahhhhs, but also just the general noise level. The increased level, the roar that says we feel there’s a goal coming. That only happened a couple of times on Saturday - and it didn’t really last very long.

It was one throw in. We were practising time wasting game management.

Thanks Dave. And I’m certainly not dissing it. I don’t understand it, so I wouldn’t do that. I really ought to learn about it…..still reckon the feeling you get from a crowd is a decent guide too though! Interesting (if I’ve understood it right) that Boro’s biggest climb was in that 45-60 minute slot that’s been such a problem for us. At the time, I was worried, but I thought that was more about our history of conceding then. A plus that we actually didn’t concede this time?

Hey Joe……Jimi Hendrix

I’ve just said (above) that I’ve no idea what xg is. Have to say that this doesn’t do much to convince me it’s an objective way of measuring anything that I should take the time to learn

And I was simply pointing out that, even if there was a “meltdown” after the Coventry game, you weren’t part of it. Your post match reaction was a focus on the positives. None of which I’d argue with. But your post match reaction on Saturday was the polar opposite and a focus on negatives. Which I do argue with. I’m afraid I don’t judge games on the match stats, and I’ve no idea what xg is. Call me a dinosaur, but I go by what I see at the game, what I feel, sense, hear, smell. That’s what football is about to me. And, for example, what was significant for me on Saturday was how rarely the Boro fans really made much noise. That said far more to me about how comfortable we were than any shots on target stat. Maybe that’s a difference between us and why we’ll never have a meeting of minds. Talking of stats more generally though, I notice you’ve still not replied - for a second time - to mine about our punishing schedule at the moment. Interesting that when those stats don’t suit you can ignore or ‘not read’ them! I mention that because managing our small squad through that schedule is one of the things I think LM deserves some credit for. We’ll all have views about whether and when he starts, subs, replaces players, but he knows the players situation at any time far better than we do and I think he’s managed it well. I hesitate to say that today because I’ve a feeling tonight might be a step too far, but let’s see!

Man City’s schedule is of little relevance to us. It’s Southampton’s and QPR’s that’s significant to us. And who’s “moaning”? I didn’t feel Boro were unlucky, no. The fact that you use words like “spin” suggests you’re putting your own particular take on it. And I’ve certainly never criticised - never mind “castrated - another emotive term that doesn’t make for reasoned argument - anyone for our formation against Coventry. But don’t keep playing the martyr?! No-one is suggesting that critiquing any manager isn’t allowed. In my mind all that’s being suggested the past 48 hours is that we show a little joy and spend a little time celebrating three points from a tricky away game! As @Davefevs said (eventually!!), just chill

Yes, remember that, it was so funny. If I remember right he got booked for kicking the ball away. But it wasn’t just a tap into the advertising boards - he actually got it out of the ground

And most of those locked out climbed in through the back of the East End. I’ve never known it so packed in there.

We’re a touchy lot in Portishead……take our headlines very seriously

You’ll know that I was critical of the post on Saturday, Dave. I’ve not joined in much since: I’ve said my piece, I take the points you’ve made since, and I’m not going to get into a debate with you on tactics and data! But I do think @mozo has a point. Whether you’re writing a novel, a political manifesto or a corporate press release, the one thing you’ll get told is to never underestimate the importance of the headline/title and of the opening lines. When we’d just come away from Middlesbrough with a win, your headline had a very big “but” (and no question mark), and your opening line talked about disappointment, frustration and anger. And, quite honestly, if you’d asked me to come up with three words after the game on Saturday then disappointment, frustration and anger would have been pretty much the last ones I’d have thought of! So, whatever else you went on to say, you’d lost me by then!

I don't know about "comfortable", but I honestly didn't have that 'it's only a matter of time' feeling. And I'm someone who hates going into an early 3 goal lead on the basis that it looks embarrassing when we give it away! I do agree about Williams though. And we did largely revert to a back 5 - as opposed to wing backs pressing forward. Which with one fewer in the middle, may have played its part in the limited effectiveness of Mehmeti and McCrorie, and the complete lack of service to TC. And although I'm talking about watching it real time, and not in the knowledge of what's going to happen, I will acknowledge that it probably helped that it was all happening down the other end from us!!

OK: the context - we hardly have a full or large squad at the moment either - and add to that the gruelling schedule we are facing which is placing us at a disadvantage against every team we face. - the relevance of the Coventry game is that it's the one you mentioned as evidence your proposition that posters were equally critical after that game. I was simply responding to your having talked about that game. - Subjective I know, but my view is that the game on Saturday was far more comfortable viewing than the Coventry one. I don't think we were unlucky Saturday: I think we played well going forward first half and defended resolutely second half. As I've said elsewhere, it never felt to me - until the very end - that it was just a matter of time til Boro scored. Coventry we were dead lucky: they did everything but score, hit the woodwork, more than once as I recall. Also, we actually played well for long spells on Saturday - we didn't v Coventry. But as I say, I accept that's just my view and yours is different, that's fair enough. I didn't read all your posts in the first half, no. I never read the forum when I'm at a match and watching the game. So I tend to go by the - in theory more considered - comments people make afterwards. And I have to say that yours weren't terribly positive! Mostly critical in fact. The contrast I was making wasn't between a generic summary of 'the feeling' after both games. There were, and are, lots of different views. It was more between your own reaction to the Coventry game, which was to focus on the positives, the need to grind out results, the mentality of the squad, the quality of the opposition. And yet on Saturday your over-riding post match repose was one that was critical of Manning, of the changes to personnel and formation.

Well if you have a look at the post - which was a reply to you - you'll see that the fact is that we DO have a tougher schedule than everyone else we're playing at the moment. I'll give you an example. When we play QPR on Saturday that will be our 11th game (plus an extra time) since the Xmas/New Year games. It will be their 8th. I'm not going to look out the post or get all the details up together again since you probably won't read this one either. No sarcasm intended!

No, it's not. I replied to your similar statement a couple of weeks ago, and I gave you the facts about how many games we are playing compared to our opponents. We are playing significantly more games - and that was before our replay went to extra time. You didn't reply to that, which is your prerogative. But I wish you'd stop repeating stuff that's demonstrably not true.