GrahamC

Just before my time but my old man rated him highly.

Described him as hard but fair.

RIP.

2 minutes ago, Red Billy said:

The signing reminds me a lot of the Lois Diony loan from the outside. Had performed well in the past but had struggled leading up to us signing him. Bring him in and hope you can get the better version playing for you. I’d rather we loan these players first and take a look at them than sign them like Gustav Engvall and never play them and have them stuck on a three year deal nowhere near the first team set up. 

Diony had 3 full seasons of Ligue 1 football under his belt when he signed on loan, it didn’t work out but he was an experienced forward.

Mebude is 19 & had started 1 game in the Belgian league & made 2 sub appearances.

Beyond the fact they were both on loan & haven’t worked out I’m struggling to see any similarities at all.

12 hours ago, The turtle said:

Just a football musing, but I don't want to glory hog with a new thread. It's not so much about city either.

 

A strange phrase I've seen a lot today post game = "ill take that"

It has to be one of the stranger emotions. Who pays money and time to walk away from a football match thinking "ill take that" after a nil nil.

It's not like there are exceptions either, because if you play well you aren't taking it.

I'm a master of somehow watching 0-0s and not once have i ever walked out feeling like "ill take that"

Do you know how dominant the other team has to be for "ill take that"

Not once have i been to a game hoping for a 0-0. It simply leaves a feeling devoid of emotion.

I just don't get the phrase or the feeling

 

I do.

When you’ve played poorly & your goalkeeper has saved you from defeat on the back of two wins (one against the side who’ll probably win the league) then a point away from home is absolutely fine by me.

I have been watching us a long time, so realised years ago that expecting us to win every game & even play well in them is unrealistic & pretty naive.

I look every season to make sure that first we have enough points to stay up, so yesterday was another one to that total.

The debate about Tinnion, Lansdown & Manning will go on elsewhere.

I’m definitely not in the “be careful what you wish for” camp, I’d happily see the Lansdowns & Tinnion leave tomorrow but can happily “take the point” & “move on”.

On 15/03/2024 at 19:41, Numero Uno said:

I think he'll wait until the points are in the bag first. One of the other issues we have is almost every game we play is a tight affair. We are never in that 3-0 or even 0-3 position where you can chuck a kid on for 20 minutes either because you're on easy street or you're so angry at the senior players!!

Rotherham at home & at Stoke on the last day seem the obvious ones.

Norwich away might be too much, they’re flying at present.

With sides facing each other & little prospect of all of the bottom sides winning, we should be mathematically safe by next Saturday.

3 hours ago, Davefevs said:

FBC Pod - Lez - (paraphrased) Max was nothing special, the shots weren’t in the corner, were weak, or both. Lordy!

Is he often a big drug user?

Just now, Davefevs said:

Tanner’s touch was awful, conceded possession too often in safe positions.

Clarke’s a top player & I thought he marshalled him reasonably well.

All about opinions though, isn’t it?

28 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

If he plays another minute for us I'll be very surprised.

If he doesn’t get on the pitch at all against an already relegated Rotherham I think that will say a lot.

Just now, The Original OTIB said:

Why did it not affect them in the same way? They could have scored 6.

But didn’t score even one.

2 minutes ago, 22A said:

No; futile means no purpose. Surely they do have a purpose; making us laugh each week.

I know what futile means, I just don’t see the point of them.

I’m not sure how often you can find something so pathetic, funny.

17 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

Apart from Max doing what Max does , no one worth a positive mention IMO.

From 1 to 11 ( poetic licence ) they all misplaced passes , waited for things to happen , stepped off challenges , it was just very poor. 

What I would say is losing Dickie was massive , he would have added some control and leadership. I was a little disappointed with James in that respect . 
I don't blame LM for the team, Roberts played well as LCB last time , so it was reasonable to play him there. But so many off days , hard to explain , and Pring looks back to being shot on 70 mins after so much hard work . 
With nothing on the game really . I would have liked some pro active , positive Subs from the Manager, rather than the expected swaps at the expected time. 
I wonder what we will get Wednesday .

Thought Tanner & Vyner stuck at it & Pring (who took a very heavy knock early on from a clear foul that the ref chose to ignore) certainly improved.

Beyond that we certainly weren’t great, Wells fed on absolute scraps & even James wasn’t at his usual standard.

Take the point, 3rd clean sheet & move on.

5 minutes ago, LilRascal said:

8,814 today against one of the bigger clubs in their division - they really do need a bigger stadium, don't they?

6 games without scoring a goal, crap crowds in a shit stadium.

Absolutely futile club.

3 minutes ago, Red Army 75 said:

The pricks haven’t scored in 6 consecutive games. 

What happened to Chris Martin, their goal hero?

He’s very good, isn’t he?

Top drawer again today, 3 clean sheets on the spin.

Well done to him.

1 minute ago, redkev said:

So do we

There all shockers 

They really aren’t.

Sam Allison, Darren Bond, there are some decent ones amongst the jokers.

****, just seen Leigh Doughty is the ref, he’s a shocker.

Knew Norwich would be right up for it, like a City Rovers game & they will absolutely love it if that’s what stops them getting automatic promotion.

Think top six is sorted now, Norwich are on a great run, West Brom very consistent & everyone above too far ahead 7th.

You’ve misread the article.

Warnock is claiming he’s retired, not Pearson.

With a place in Devon if he’s well enough then he seems a very smart choice for them to me.

@Merrick's Marvels Naismith has another year.

The only senior players out of contract are Weimann (effectively already gone), James, Williams & King.

Wiles-Richards & Backwell are OoC amongst several of the 21s, the rumour is nearly all have already been told they’re being released.

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

Hardie on the break, on the angle, wide of the post.

Was that the one where Stroud missed a clear foul on Twine?

1 hour ago, Hartleysbeard said:

Haha! Pretty sure that wasn’t the plan! Had Argyle taken any one of their numerous chances in that opening 20 mins, it could have been a different game. 

Apart from the back post volley by Whittaker I’m not sure they had any real chances.

They started well & had about 4 corners in the first 6 minutes but in truth they didn’t threaten very much at all.

Second half Whittaker had another shot that Max palmed away but that was it.

In reality it was a comfortable win.

Been away this week, was anything said yesterday about TGH’s availability for tomorrow?

Arguably if he’s fit then our injury “list” only consists of 3 players because you can’t consider Benarous injured if he came through the last 21s game unscathed.

1 hour ago, slartibartfast said:

I can remember DS being introduced to the race going public at Bath (being current City boss ) as " former Sunderland manager and Stoke player"............no mention of being head honcho at City, we were left with the feeling that was how he'd like to be remembered, very strange !

He is pretty bitter about his time with us.

Have to say though that obviously Andy Cole & arguably Leroy Rosenior aside, his signings (Atteveld, Thompson, Mitchell, Rouse) were all uniformly awful.

12 minutes ago, TDarwall said:

I would think Williams will be up there with Nahki as our highest earner so it really depends on what he wants ££ wise & what he can get elsewhere. I'd like to keep him if we can.

James being that bit older makes it tricky, but losing pace isn't an issue.

For a combo of factors I'd be amazed if we kept both, but think James slightly higher chance.

Think that’s right, Bird’s signing, plus Manning wanting a number 10, which then sees Knight drop back makes it more likely it is an either/or rather than both.

You’re spot on about wages, anyone not thinking these two will expect top earnings (whatever that is for us) is being incredibly naive.

Just now, ExiledAjax said:

It's interesting perhaps that James, King and Williams are all use Wasserman as their agency. They may not be signed in with the exactly the same individual, but there will be a common approach and style of negotiation there.

We went through a spell where most of our signings were with them.

I think the 3 are all at different stages of their careers to be fair.

King is probably at the end, James would see his next contract as his last big one & Williams should consider himself at the peak of his career.

How that pans out in negotiations for anything we offer time will tell.

7 hours ago, grifty said:

Don't forget all the posters who has said Bird wants to backtrack out of the deal and the deal is going to be cancelled.

Are they the same ones saying James had an appearance clause in his contract so wasn’t really injured & wouldn’t play for us again this season?