RedM

TRL, it might have already been mentioned but I believe Marv is doubtful for Tuesday as he has a massive lump on his head after clashing heads and then fell awkwardly on his ankle. So not as bad as feared maybe, but could be better.

Yup, someone has just pointed this out to be. I wonder who is going to knock 9 past us in April, Stevenage away on Easter Monday perhaps? I was going to go to that, I don't think I'll bother now! Looking foward to scoring 5 in December though, nice Xmas bonus that!

That's shocking. If they can't get a football score right what else is factually inaccurate that they print. I gave up buying it ages ago, pure comic.

Right my 2 penny worth. Baldock and Jet don't seem to have much of a partnership, they don't work particularly well together, but between them they contribute a lot of goals. I would have been tempted to take both of them off 10 minutes after HT, but without seeing Barnett play I looked around the rest of the team and couldn't really see where the 2 or 3 goals we needed would come from. Cunningham or Wagstaff looked the next most likely to score. Reid ? Pack? Gillett? Nope, unlikely. The rest of the defenders, even though they come up for every corner etc? Again unlikely. I did like the introduction of Wes Burns, every game I have seen him play he has made a contribution. I like how we use Cunningham at the moment, suits his game better than purely defending. He got into some great positions but he isn't a striker, just as Wagstaff's strength isn't defending. So as unconvincing as it is do we keep using Jet and Baldock as we do or try to get one of them to play with a different partner. We do really need to stop letting in unchallenged soft goals though, that's a certainty.

The more I read the more I like! He sounds the type of player I was hoping Flint would be. Flint can now learn from the Master!

I love him already. He's the sort of player you hate if he is the opposition, both as a player and a fan.

But what would be the cost of another relegation? Say he helps to save us this year then perhaps next season we will seriously be looking at promotion, would he be worth the financial outlay then? Hopefully he would pass on his experience to our younger players too, and also often having players like him will attract other players to sign too. It's not all about what's left to sell at the end.

Was it a shock that he left, or has it been looking likely as he was being kept out of the team by others. I just seen that he made his 300th appearance for you on 11th Jan (90 minute sub). Just seems a bit strange, but I'm happy as he sounds just what we need.

Exactly. I was going to write the same but you saved me the bother and probably put it better. Osbourne has added experience and Flint has looked a lot more assured. This player will do the same and more I think. Hopefully he is the leader we desperately need. He sounds like he might add a bit of grit and steel too which we so obviously lack at times. Maybe Fonts is on his way and Williams will be benched more, or they will just be rotated more. Defenders are often suspended or there are injuries to cover for. I think Cotterill likes to play with wing backs, he recently said the 2 wide players do the most running so can't play Sat/Tues/Sat especially on heavy pitches this time of year. This signing gives us options. Fair enough it wasn't the striker/midfielder expected but maybe this player became available and was too good an opportunity to miss. I have no doubt other players are being pursued but as Cotterill also said 'getting them in the door is another thing altogether'.

Ok, I'll bite. I'm not sure how you have decided this. We just lost to a team who are mid table in the Championship in a cup game. This has no bearing at all on how the rest of our season will shape up. He was without 2 players, one of which he has just signed on loan and one whose loan he has just extended, so obviously they are players he rates. I was going to urge you to forget about the cup and concentrate on the real work, but you have obviously decided the outcome already. Whatever floats your boat I suppose, Boatman. I'm just not ready to drown yet.

So far so good. I honestly can't see us not fighting back in games now. Ok we will still lose some, but not without a fight. Mentality of team has changed.

What a start. Fight back now

Surely they can just get on the phone to ManU?

I went to London in August, had an hour to spare so thought we'd go and have a look around The Emirites. It was match day but Arsenal were away at Fulham (?) in an early kick off. Obviously I didn't get into the ground, just walked all the way round the outside and looked in the shop. The shop was huge and sold every possible Arsenal branded thing you could think of, for example there were a lot more things for girls, shopping bags, purses, cuddly toys etc. Every bit of kit possible, remember at this time we still hadn't had delivery of our shirts, and wouldn't for a couple of months. As you walked into the shop you turned left for general stuff but if you turned right you went into an area at least 3 times the size of our Megastore just for shirt printing! There were about 10 tills just serving people (actually only about 5 were open, but remember this was during an away match). I was amazed by the turnover they must make from just shirt sales alone, I saw plenty being sold in the few minutes I was there. Yes some were being sold to tourists who were turning up for a look like I did. It's a different world. I stood outside an promised the next time I'd be there it would be with Bristol City. So fingers crossed we will beat Watford and they beat Spurs tomorrow!

We came away with a point. Just the same point that we would of had if we were 1-0 down for most of the game and managed to equalise in the dying minutes ourselves. If this had happened we would been celebrating, or at least not so deflated as we are now wouldnt we?

That did make me smile too

Umm, 3 points or harmony on the forum? I don't know what is more likely, probably the points!

Team unchanged. A vote of confidence for SoD, or lack of options?

I've been out all morning with no Internet access and poor mobile signal. My son texted me to say Sod had gone, i texted him to ask how he knew and he said email from JonL, i told him it must be a wind up. i really didn't see it coming. Then frustratingly I couldn't find out more until I got in a minute ago. I am still staggered, so off to read this and other threads to see if other people are as shocked as I am.

I tend to agree. Who knows what will happen in 15 years time. Maybe Bristol rugby will be a huge club and need a stadium of their own after sharing with us for years. Who knows where we will be, I would hope well established in the Championship if not above (surely it must be our turn somewhere in the next decade or so to be in he Premiership). It just seems a huge waste of time: 'We cannot possibly develop Ashton Gate for xyz reasons, we want the World Cup blah, blah, blah.' 'No you cannot build on the land you own, it's green don't you know' 'Ok then we will develop Ashton Gate' And this has taken how long? I think most of us are fed up with the situation, I cannot imagine how SteveL must feel.

Agreed. I haven't read all through the bitchfest on here yet but would like to make 2 points: Yes there are other clubs out there and reading about other people's experiences about attending matches is always interesting. We shouldn't be so insular, maybe if our board would take a wider view we could make some real progress. Wasn't the chairman of Swansea saying just the other day that no other clubs had talked to him about his experiences, sounded like an open invitation to me. And when Kaiser and co were trekking all the way up to Carlisle the other day I was at Brislington football club watching them against Welling in the cup. I stated before that I was going and made a few posts afterwards. There were a few City fans there that day. I don't remember us constantly getting ridiculed or questioned about where our loyalties lay?

Dolly is in the chat room, I'll let her know she is wantedon here

Goal for Kaiser to celebrate!

I think we will miss Wagstaff, wasn't too sure of him at first but he does a lot of positive work and is always ready to receive the ball. Shame Bryan didn't make it either.

Jets goals have saved SoD's neck right now so he would be better off issuing a 'hands off' warning to other clubs, even if he knows deep down he is likely to sell. This would get fans onside, and he could do with that, and send out a message to the board we need to keep our best asset. I can't think SoD wants to sell, he would only have to find another goal scorer, and we haven't got another here at the moment. This in turn just heaps the pressure back on himself if goals dry up and so do points.