RedRock

Jesz, wake up please. 0-2.

I reckon Scott is going to have his CoD moment tonight. 2-3 away win, with an injury-time winner.

Well done Tommy. Deserved. Many though make the ‘break through’, the key is to keep it going. Soon you won’t be the ‘new kid on the block’. Teams will have analysed your strengths and will counter them and the weaknesses, which they will exploit. Only the best survive. Be the best.

Spurs were very average, until the sending off. Man City I’ll give you, to trade off with Celtic.

Alexander-Arnold with one of the most half-arsed CL performances I’ve seen. Thought Chelsea were really poor, Rangers were totally out-classed and the Scousers little better. Maybe UK footie has got a little complacent.

Watched a bit of the game last night. The attitude of the players indicated to me something was up. A lot of hit and hope, and just a shrug of the shoulders to errors, with little to no team effort or support. This is the outcome when you don’t work on building a team and a ‘we’re all in it together’ mentality. Fortunately for us, Pearson appears to place a great deal of weight on ‘team’ both on and off the pitch. Probably, on reflection, why he was so upset with JLs comments about progression last year which, while an accurate analysis of where we were, was not helpful to building this team ethos.

I think Pearson has tweaked that pathway. So credit to him. Think he saw the value of keeping more back to nurture ‘at home’. That way it helps the development of player partnerships and for the players to gain a fuller understanding of our systems. It also helps him and his coaching staff by providing more time to assess players strengths, weaknesses and potential.

I think the question I have is whether he could have been a success if we had developed a team around him, rather than use him as a random ‘bit-part’ player. I think he could have been personally. Anyhow, setting aside the untapped potential issue, I’ve loved his professionalism throughout. Exemplary - at least viewed from a distance and possibly has played a big part in Tommy’s development which - if nothing else - has paid back some of his £££ costs.

To think it was only 12 months ago when I was celebrating a 5 yard pass completion as if it was a goal. Far from out of the woods and a couple of defeats will bring the Pearson-Outers back again, but I am really starting to believe we can at least be competitive in the League and avoid the embarrassment of the constant ‘they were the worst team we’ve played’ comments in other Championship Club’s Forums.

Power, pace - but add precision and partnerships. Many of the attributes of a successful rugby team apply to football as well. When Bristol were first promoted to the Rugby Premiership they were totally unprepared. Having watched Exeter during that period they were playing a high energy/tempo, precision, power-game on a different level to what Bristol were playing. Top-level Rugby had evolved and advanced light years beyond where we were then at. We re-grouped after relegation, embraced the new principles, and became competitive. Fortunately, in football we haven’t had to suffer relegation. The strategy we had - if we can call it that - had become tired and out-dated. The Club had become a dinosaur-like, particularly at the showcase first team squad level. However, we are now building a team that can compete in the Championship based on the new philosophy of successful teams adopting the four ‘p’ principles. Bravo Pearson and crew.

Think ‘his’ song should now be adapted to ‘Nikki, Nahki Wells’ in recognition of the quality of broadcasting researchers throughout the UK.

Always thought Wells had something about him and could make a positive contribution to the team. What I did find interesting, and very telling, was his short Twitter message post-match about playing in a ‘TEAM’ (he capitalised the word). Couldn’t agree with him more. We have a Manager, at last, who recognises the value of a team! More importantly is actually building a TEAM. YAY! He could have added ‘PARTNERSHIPS’ too, something many have been banging the drum on ever since Cotts left …. and we have a Manager that recognises the importance of them too! Joy of joys, not least the Conway, Wells, Weimann, Semenyo quad… but also the midfield and defensive units taking shape. I didn’t join the ‘Pearson Out’ camp early in the Season, but did feel it was time for him with his coaching staff to start delivering. I think they are clearly having an positive impact now. Early days, and as we know with City things can rapidly go pear-shaped, but the omens (and strategy) look good. Whether by accident (Martin being rested and Wells stepping up which changed our entire dynamic) or, hopefully design (Pearson realised Wells was ready and worked in a high press team with Conway), sustainable change is happening. Happy days.

Umm… dipped in for a couple of 10 minute sessions between mowing the lawn. Standards seem to have regressed somewhat. Maybe rusty early season and all that.

Millwall ‘when it all went mental’ at the Gate could be any match since about 1968. The 84/85 encounter was, from my recollection, the worst. Think that was the one when not only did I wonder if I would survive the day, but seriously questioned the future of all humanity!

Was one of the ‘must listen to’ radio shows in the day. Someone presenting who understood real football fans rather than a manufactured pompous graduate posing as a pseudo fan. That ‘racist’ incident was all a load of carp, created by people who knew nothing about him or his history. Aside from all that he called the Sags out for being ‘pathological liars’, so he is obviously an observant, genuine and a decent chap. Not aware of any Millwall fan that dislikes him either, but I suppose you’ll always get a few who’ll have a pop at a celebrity because that’s what they do. Either that or his political views don’t accord with them, which brings us full circle and reinforces the fact he’s a non-racist.

I like Pearson’s approach. If we are going to achieve anything we need to be putting teams like Wycombe (no disrespect they’ve done brilliantly on meagre resources) to the sword. In the past, we haven’t. We won. Great. Performances matter though, individually, as playing units and a team. By the sound of it several fell short yesterday. Unacceptable. Pearson called it out. Fine by me…we’ve been too soft for years. Get the right mentality in the squad and you go a long way to creating a successful, continually-improving team. We’ve heard a lot about the Club’s motivational slogans/strap-lines … we now appear to have a manager that demands the players adhere to the mission, rather than just pay lip-service to it. Bravo.

But when you hit 60 you become irresistible to women, hit the peak of your physical prowess and take on Einstein-like mental agility. The world then becomes a much happier place. I know wish.

I rather like ‘SAG’…. and was hoping the retards would adopt it like they did with the other derogatory name we gave them, which they bizarrely adopted. Yes, it’s a backward gas, but more sums up their demeanour… sink, subside, decline, downward. I associate it with some scruff shuffling along with no hope. Disappointing they haven’t embraced it really, as I would have loved them to walk around with ‘SAG’ or ‘SAGGY’ t-shirts, hats, scarfs et al. Never mind, can’t win them all. Perhaps, the next name we come up for them will appeal to them more.

Nicely ‘on message’. Pearson will be happy with that. Seems a decent chap too…. but, hopefully, not quite achieving Mark Ashton’s ‘good human’ status. Too early to say the good ship ‘Bristol City’ has turned the corner, but looking good as Wycombe are the type of team in past days that could have caused an upset.

All dried up thanks to the Tories and their lack of regulation of Water Companies.

If though we had invested funds in a decent scouting set up which identified talent of real quality and a Director of Football instead of the Academy, we may not have ended up as being the biggest Club in the EFL not to have played in the Premier League and avoided a £38 million loss with a FFP points deduction hanging over our heads. I think that football investment ‘model’ over the past few decades has been a more successful one than an Academy bolted on to a ‘random chaos’ transfer policy led by an administrator. Just saying like. Anyhows, let’s hope we’ve turned a corner.

Hand up. Only Ashton Yate was more vociferous than I regarding the Academy ‘issue’. The fact that many other similar-sized and financed Clubs have made it to the Premier League before us, in part, justifies past criticism. It does seem now, all be it belatedly, we are producing a pool of talent. For that I am thankful. Clearly, BT has been a major contributor, but Pearson and his team have possibly ‘tweaked’ the pathway that has enabled the likes of Conway to develop with the first team squad rather than been sent to Outer Mongolia. Not only has this benefitted the individual Academy product but, joy of joys, we are starting to see partnership develop! Glory be. It’s a start … now push on.

Outstanding performance. Said earlier in the week a top professional - despite his public demeanour. Banged on for years about the need for partnerships in a team. At last, forged in the Under-23’s and the training pitch, the Wells/Conway axis is happening. Brilliant to watch them, their pressing in particular is top quality, a real joy.

In addition to their goal scoring abilities, it’s the press, with the Wells, Conway, Andi combination … they are truly superb at it. Really panics defences. When Martin plays we need an entirely different game plan as he hasn’t the legs to defend from the front using the high press tactic. Presently we need that high -end press given our rear-end fragilities!

Add top scorer Andi to that mix as well!!!