GrahamC

Think that’s right.

So he’s of an age where he’s been working for over 20 years & he’s on his own… Can’t possibly think why. I assumed it was a teenager’s bedroom.

One calm interception to a ball over Vyner & certainly stopped their giant number 9 from scoring from a wicked cross. We would certainly have noticed if he hadn’t played..

Which was excellent. He thought about it & made the right decision, loads jump in & give it straight away & are wrong (Ipswich away).

Spot on. Didn’t he leave the game & come back down the leagues after some disciplinary issue? Clearly a class above & is an actual Prem ref, not like some who are.

Based on the QPR game I’d prefer it if he did.. Let’s face it, if you don’t come on when we’re 4 up with 5 minutes to play, you’re not coming on at all. Completely off topic but delighted Knight-Lebel got those minutes instead & convinced that might have been done to give Andy King a last few minutes at the Gate too.

Wish I could say that was the case. Remember Junior Bent getting racially abused on his debut for us in 1990 at Preston from so called City fans. Absolutely not an isolated incident, comments about West Brom being “the pride of Pakistan” a recent example. Cue someone saying “that’s not racist, it’s banter”..

That sentence didn’t need “of British traditions”. It could have ended there.

If it was, he wouldn’t have started at Gillingham or ever played for us.

You love to see it. They’re slowly dying. Reckon they’ll still go ahead with their plans for their main stand this summer? No, me neither.

More like a ******* care home, looking at the age of their team.

At half time (2-0 down) Rovers made a triple substitution & brought on three 35 year olds in Martin, Sinclair & Wilson. On 70 minutes their final substitution was to bring on a 33 year old right back in Jack Hunt. Presumably this is their particular version of planning for next season? Looks more like Last of the Summer Wine to me. They’re ******, aren’t they?

Yep- it’s total nonsense to claim there were “loads” against him. A few (fair play to them) stopped going & were vocal, but most were fully behind him, saw him as a “name” & part of their latest (failed) attempt to get back to the Championship.

What’s weird to me is Gaschat is now full of people now slagging Barton off. The vast majority loved the thug when he was there, absolute revisionism from start to finish.

No. However the scenario being portrayed on here by some was we might not get another point with around 10 games to go, which was frankly ridiculous. We were never seriously in the relegation picture, no matter how much some said we were. Saying what might have happened if something we now know didn’t happen had taken place, is really the definition of pointless.

Yep, also pretty much the same players around him all season. Keeper who has played every single game, Tanner, Pring & Vyner have all had decent seasons availability wise too. None of these players is younger than 24, none is over 28, a perfect balance. Blindingly obvious we are short of creativity & another finisher but something to build on. Next bit is the hardest part though.

“Usually” as in he’s only ever scored against us in one game since he left, you mean?

At the risk of sounding like NTTDS, I would have thought a train was a good option from Yate, far quicker than the bus.

It’s also the squad depth issue. Unless Williams stays if James does go, we are then 2 senior midfielders down with only Max Bird currently lined up. Worth pointing out as well that Andy King is widely expected not to be with us next season but he’s been in the match day squad 29/41 times already & with a subs bench that has included the likes of Knight-Lebel, Yeboah, Nelson, Mebude, Meerholz, Backwell & Araoye, none of whom have a single league start between them, that’s yet more experience lost. Hopefully Benarous will be fit enough to be involved next season but you are taking a very big risk if you’re counting on that.

Just before my time but my old man rated him highly. Described him as hard but fair. RIP.

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.

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”.

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.

Is he often a big drug user?

Yep. Bird is certainly the replacement for James or Williams. I’m still guessing one stays & that we don’t replace King because Benarous, Murphy & Stokes are all expected to be in or around the squad. If we don’t sign Twine we need a 10, we already need one striker (2 as you say if Conway goes), plus a back up keeper, because the debate as to whether Max is no. 1 is well and truly over. Leaving aside those (Bird, Stokes) we already know are on their way, that looks like a maximum of 4 to me.