fgrsimon

13 hours ago, Boring Sag said:

Truly curious what a lot of you think. Martin has now scored 15 in 20 starts (25 games played), a goal every 120 minutes. Meanwhile Clarke-Harris has only 6 goals in 14 starts (24 games played for Peterborough). Do people think that Rovers' huge oopsie moment at the end of the August window might have ended up being very favourable (Martin outperforming JCH and signing for free, wouldn't have happened if JCH had signed and saved iirc £750k), or do you think that it's a lot more complex than that (Martin performing well now but overall play iffy, 35 years old so we might rely on him next season and he might not perform, JCH's poor performances hugely impacted by having to stay and big confidence shot etc.)

Tbh he's kept Rovesr away from the relegation battle pretty much single-handedly but he wasn't 'free' as such, his salary will be probably the highest in the squad. Good luck to him, he did Ok at City. Could he still get goals in the Championship? Well he got 4 from 16 games in a truly dire QPR team earlier this year so not out of the question but it would have to be from the subs bench.....  

Ironically I think Mebude was signed with TC in mind (they've played together when with Scotland I think?). The way that's working out, they'll be lucky if they get more than 5 mins on the pitch together. 

2 hours ago, Midlands Robin said:

What he got seemed to be a continuation of the previously planned January transfer window strategy. It smacks of absolute arrogance that the board felt we wouldn't need to worry about any major signings until the summer.

Exactly this; arrogance and complacency in equal measures. I was alarmed when the 'signings for next season' strategy was publicly stated. There was never a guarantee which league we'd be playing in next season.  I wasn't expecting QPR and Sheff Wed to put up the fight they have done admittedly but there's always a chance at least one of the teams at the bottom will put a few wins together.  Equally if we'd somehow got promoted (yeah it's a bit of a stretch but) we'd be going to the EPL with L1, National League and League of Ireland players!

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

Liam Manning’s career in this country:

Lommel 20-21 finished 3rd (fyi Belgium Challenger Pro is an 8 team league - I don’t think anybody mentioned that before) i can’t comment on whether this was a success or not.

MK Dons 21-22 took over gameweek 2 - finished 3rd, lost in playoff semis

MK Dons 22-23 sacked in gameweek 21 - in 22nd place (that’s the unsuccessful part)

Oxford 22-23 took over with 10 games left and Oxford in 19th - finished 19th

Oxford 23-24 left in 2nd place after 15 games

 

Oxford 22-23 took over with 10 games left and Oxford in 19th - finished 19th

I mentioned this elsewhere, *Oxford stayed up last season by he skin of their teeth because they beat FGR in the last but one game. FGR have been the worst team in the EFL for the last 2 years and an absolute gift for struggling teams (see yesterday). If it hadn't been for that game Oxford could very easily have been relegated on the  last day and he wouldn't even have been of any interest to BCFC or any Championship club. So basically we hired someone largely due to a victory over FGR! Sliding doors moment.

*They also thrashed Cheltenham in the game before FGR. Cheltenham were on the beach having just ensured League 1 survival against the odds and had probably been on the lash for a few days.

I have no sympathy for him, no-one forced him to take this job, he knew he had zero Championship experience and would have known there was a risk it wouldn't work out.

I'm not usually one for knee-jerk reactions but I'm very worried this guy is taking us down this season.

I was at Hull University in 1989 with a guy from Dewsbury who knew Alan Nicholls. I remember him asking me if I remembered him at the time and I didn't even back then because my first game was 1984 after his time! I think I was only eventually able to confirm it when the 'BCFC Complete Record' book came out.

This same bloke (my friend not Alan Nicholls) had this idea to put a false football career on his CV. A sort 'made a couple of sub appearances and got a career ending injury' type thing as a conversation starter. Of course in those pre-internet days he'd almost certainly got away with it as the only records would have been with the club or FA. 

8 hours ago, Northern Red said:

Do you mean MK Dons?

Someone posted his last post-match interview before he got sacked there the other day, it was remarkably similar to today's.

Yes I'm sure he did mean MK but LM did come perilously close to getting relegated at Oxford last season. They were admittedly in a downward spiral when he took over but it was only a win over FGR in I think the penultimate game, which I think ensured safety. I mean I think I could manage a team to beat FGR in the last couple of seasons!

20 hours ago, Bristol Rob said:

Blimey! Page 2 for this thread. 

But don't worry - they've just had a Q&A with their new owners who are going to get them a Tier 1 academy so that they can be self sufficient. 

This means - I think* - that they'll be able to play themselves in the JPT or whatever it is these days. 

*I don't really think that, I'm just second guessing #GasLogic

This could be a total car-crash years in the making, crack open the popcorn......

I'm sure it's a typo (right!) but the Bristol Live write-up currently states the following:- 

Given their backgrounds in real estate, the Kuwaitis always saw the infrastructural possibilities of the Gas as a major driver that led them to eventually invest significantly but for them, it's now just about fast-tracking Rovers up the divisions recklessly, it's about ensuring that the foundations are laid for the club to stay where they are if they're promoted.

Dancing in the streets of Banks O'Dee tonight as they hit the top of the competitive Highland League!

Interesting story; survived a 24 point deduction last season which was their first ever at that level when they replaced the hapless Fort William. Romantic name but it's a leisure centre in Aberdeen and they get players from Aberdeen FC I think. Not sure if they'd be allowed into the SFL if they won the league and the play off?

Needs 3 points from the next 3 games absolute minimum IMHO. Less than that and I think the trigger will be pulled as we'd likely be 5 points or so off bottom going into games against WBA and Leicester.

10 hours ago, Kingswood Robin said:

Certainly the only team I've seen at 4 different "home" grounds. I think they might have used Forest Green for a home game as well some time ago

Rovers Reserves played at the old FGR ground for a season or two but I don't think they ever used it for a first team game.  

13 hours ago, Clutton Caveman said:

Ate you suggesting that Chris Martin could still do it at Championship level?

As we see with Mehmeti, there is a huge gap between L1 and the Championship

I wasn't expecting him to do anything at Rovers to be honest, thought he was over the hill! He did score a couple for QPR at the end of last season IIRC so I'm wondering if he could still get goals in last 20 mins of game as a sub. Martin never had any pace to lose. Whichever way you look at it, 14 goals in 24 games from a standing start is pretty exceptional. I couldn't see Cornick getting those kind of figures in L2.

11 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Looking like a terrible footballing decision by Schumacher, not withstanding a big salary increase.  Very rarely a good move to drop down to a so-called 'bigger' club below you in the league as Alex Neill found out before him. Pivotal games for both him and Liam Manning on Saturday. 

Szmodics and Chris Martin must have scored almost as many between them as our entire team this season?

3 hours ago, GrahamC said:

He’s only started 11 league games for them this season, 9 more appearances as a sub, scored just one with 2 assists.

We need that type, but even at a club where the manager & coaching staff clearly rate him, he’s still not seen as the answer.

For me (& I know at least one regular poster dislikes him intensely) Jamie Paterson was twice the player that he was.

Think Palmer was injured for a fair while earlier in the season?

11 hours ago, cidered abroad said:

Harry, I hope that your points estimate at end of season is what we'll end up on. But, having seen seven relegations in my time, I have a nasty feeling that the team spirit built by Pearson and his managerial colleagues, is no longer with us. That spirit over the last two seasons has kept us well away from the bottom five, but what will happen if I'm correct in my assessment? It only needs another two or three poor, losing, games to leave us facing a real problem. Those in the bottom five have been battling to get out of bottom three all season; most of our squad will not even see it coming!

The ingredients are there for a collapse, add to that complacency of a January transfer window 'for next season' and the danger is there. Plus all the sides below bar Rotherham are picking up wins here and there. However you also could equally say this is true for Watford and Middlesbrough and probably some of their supporters will be having similar discussions. 

1 hour ago, The Constant Rabbit said:

I honestly don't know where the next win is coming from. It's a decent gap to the drop - 9 points. I suspect it will be more about the bottom clubs not picking up enough points rather than us gaining enough that keeps us up.

 

 

Just 8 days ago the gap was 15 points, on the current trajectory QPR and Wednesday could catch us within 6/7 games. I think it's maybe more likely Stoke and maybe Birmingham continue to sink. The worrying thing is that all the teams below us bar Rotherham and Stoke have strung some wins together recently. Lose the next 3 and we'd be right in the middle of it. On the other hand we're in the same boat as Watford and 'Boro.... 

It's the Championship, anything could happen. 

9 hours ago, RedRock said:

Having lived in South Devon for 35+ years, I think you will find Newton Abbot is very much a Torquay Utd town.  

Genuinely feel for their supporters as they are amongst the most passionate about their Club as any fans I’ve met. Hope they can find a way back to regain Football League status sooner rather than later. 
 

Yeah should have said outside of Torbay really I know NA is not really part of Torbay but it's where the railway diverges and is very close to Torquay.

Lets hope that they get a new owner soon but if they get a -10 deduction they could be dragged into the relegation fight with Truro and Taunton.

13 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I’m still a bit old school on this.  There was satisfaction in being 200-3 after 90 overs on day one of a test match.

Australia changed it when they started a more attacking approach, taking the draw out of the game, to ensure weather played less of a part, especially away from home.

One of my favourite Test innings of all time is Jack Russell 29 off 235 balls defending the draw with Mike Atherton 185* against South Africa 2nd test Jo'burg in 1995. England batted for almost 2 days with a target of 479, facing Allan Donald and all.

On the other hand at one of Glos one day finals v Worcestershire at Lords I foolishly went for a pee and to get a round in just as Ian Harvey was getting set and by the time I got back to my seat, the game was more or less over! 

1 hour ago, ralphindevon said:

I did see a post from a Plymouth supporters club asking for fans to attend Torquay matches when possible to offer support. Torquay have fallen so far plus there’s room for more than the two league clubs Devon currently has.

As for our situation, same city rivalries are a quite different and you could argue there’s not room for two clubs in the city, so………….

Yes having lived in Devon for 3 years, no one outside of Torquay has much interest in Torquay! Plymouth v Exeter is a pretty fierce rivalry though.

I think Torquay stayed full-time in National League South which would be insane if true.

I was at Plainmoor for the infamous Torquay v Bristol City game in 83/84. 

Why would the football authorities have a vendetta against Everton in particular? You'd have thought if they wanted rid of certain teams for some strange reason, it would be the less famous, poorly supported clubs like Bournemouth or Brentford that don't bring in as much money? 

On 17/02/2024 at 16:31, Jim Davey said:

surprised at Charlton thought they would be higher than that 

Have you seen where they are in the League though? They're having a terrible season despite signing or trying to sign, every decent striker in the lower leagues. Real chance they could drop to L2.

Fair play to Carlisle though, having the season from hell, rock bottom but averaging >1200 away supporters. A bit like Plymouth in that they have to drive a couple of hours just to get to civilization. Next up for them a visit to the Mem, they've lost 7 in a row I think, what could possibly go wrong?

Don't buy the physical fatigue thing, QPR played and travelled away on Wed for a real 6 pointer. Surely this would have more effect than the fact that we'd played 3 games the previous week? I can't believe that games 7+ days prior would have any effect on yesterday's game for either team. I'm 60 and can run 10km in consecutive days and with one day off I'm ready to go again on day 4. In fact it's time for my run now!

1 hour ago, 2015 said:

Frustratingly this season we have lost at home to Stoke, Millwall, QPR and Birmingham. 0 points out of 12 from these 4 home matches. That is very poor and this is what has and will ultimately cost us competing for a play off place. 

Particularly galling as even four dull 0-0 draws from those games would make the table look more appetizing.

The old adage of 'if you can't win make sure you don't lose' is very true

Beat Southampton, draw with QPR and lose at Wednesday would be very "Bristol City".

What should be the Bristol City equivalent of "Spursy"?

As someone mentioned Wednesday need wins now, draws aren't much use, so they might be more attacking.