RedRock

Brighton in the Cardiff Play Off final. They we’re more interested in their ground issues than the play-off final…and we still managed to **** it up. Shocking.

Wouldn’t it be great if, with the introduction of women officiating, football decide to extend their ‘respect’ campaign to the referee? Absolute pleasure watching rugby and the control and respect officials demand from the players and the understanding that both official and players have a responsibility for providing a good, fair and entertaining spectacle for the fans. Thought the women did ok tonight meself.

Did. I just hear a rendition of Hano Massengo on the TV?

Back in the day if your Club were known as a soft touch then every man and his dog would turn up to take the wotsits out of the place. Second or third rate FV mobs would see it as an opportunity to create mayhem and enhance their reputation among the like-minded. Never forget Ipswich in one of our first home matches in Division 1 - who no doubt though we were going to be a load of country bumpkins - brought loads down, arrived early, decorated The Centre with spray paint (including the statues oddly) and made a bit of nuisance of themselves around the ground …and then got absolutely battered. The following season a few Ipswich OAP’s in bubblehats turned up and we never subsequently had any issues with them at The Gate. Indeed, having now taken Mark Ashton from us I suspect we will be buying them pints at their next visit. At least in my view, particularly given at the time the Police were often worse than useless in controlling the mobs, the CSF and others saved the normal supporter and the local areas around AG a lot of hassle. They were a pretty decent deterrent from us having issues away from home as well. Different times.

Christ sakes! Stupid push…and now the floodgates open.

Smash’em Bris. Away support disappointingly quiet though. Get behind the lads.

The slogan may not be offensive, but has it achieved the assumed objective of changing hearts and minds? The massive positive its opened up debate. However, if I were an advertising executive in today’s dumbed down world of trying to deal with complex subjects in no more than four words, I would have gone with something like ‘judge actions, not colour’. Flags up the issue, informs people what behaviour they need to modify, and inclusive - likely something that can be embraced by all and is relevant, in terms of the responsibilities of living in a complex society, to all ‘sides’ of the debate.

Well, credit to those who opened the ‘Lives Matter’ debate. The next logical step in the process is to move from ‘All’ to ‘Some’. Then we get to the interesting bit. Drilling down to ‘which’ lives matter. For me, It’s got to be those who conduct their lives for the betterment of the planet. Safeguarding the planet’s life support systems for the benefit of all species and future generations. Simply, those who ask themselves ‘have I made the planet a better place by my being’ and can answer in the affirmative. The Chinese Communists may be showing the way by developing a culture and societal system based on the collective good. The only problem is that their belief system appears to be based primarily on the progression of the Chinese Economy (which they’ve been stunningly successful at), rather than safeguarding the planet. … but the hope is they may be changing now they’ve seen the consequences of their actions on the environment. Only on OTIB could we move from The CSF to the future of humanity in two pages.

I’ll bow to QC’s Red-Robbo’s superior knowledge on this matter your honour. A different type of legal specialism than I’ve experienced… and as the say, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Would admit, I wouldn’t have made the post on Slagchat given the high risk of at least a legal threat. My specialism was more akin to legal street fighting with no holds barred!

Ummm… don’t think he has. He merely states what I assume are facts. Then asks non-leading questions. He’s been very careful not to accuse anyone of doing anything. Very wise, as any accusation would be straight in a lawyer’s hands and highly likely end up being very expensive indeedy. Quite clever for a Sag.

Strength and power ( ..and speed) how long have some of us been shouting that out as being key physical attributes for this league. Music to my ears. Just a little bit concerned though about the increasing level of our injuries and on-field delivery of the benefits. Some games we’ve looked leggy and Atkinson’s recovery runs remind me of Flint sometimes. The likes of Bakinson clearly needs to be switched on to ‘full power mode’ before he enters the field of play. Early days though and the direction of travel set by Big Nige appears fine.

Ah the ‘dockers half’, brings back exceedingly happy memories of the ‘Thelma half’ in the Three Tuns, Lichfield Street when I was in Tamworth throughout the 1980’s. If she took a shine to you, you’d hand this barmaid a glass with the merest hint of an alcoholic beverage at the bottom, ask for a ‘quick half’ and get the glass refilled. Strange isn’t it? People have done amazing things in their lives that have changed the world…. but all you need to attain legend status in a few blokes minds is to pull generous half pints. I digress, the Post Office Tavern was once ok in W-O-T, few of the Clifton ones decent, the likes of The Plough and others in surrounding villages north west of Bristol were good once we got our wheels. Seem to recall that I spent most of y teenage years though in Clubs like the fire-trap known as the Dug Out, off Park Street either that, or mid week, Tiffany’s.

Lummydaze, if that left ‘millions of people frustrated’ just what’s going to happen to the World when Pornhub crashes!

Yep, I was there too. Also remember an almighty scrap in the enclosure right in front of me. No idea what it was about as there were no ‘away’ fans

We’re winning ugly at the moment. The number of times I’ve heard ‘Bristol City are the worst team we’ve seen those season’ on opponents forums is embarrassing … so common, that it’s clearly not just reactions from some spotty adolescent pee’d off that his own team has not won. There is progress. For the greater part of last season, if a single pass over 3 yards found another red shirt that was something to celebrate. This season we’re managing 2 or 3 successful passes and on many occasions, some forward passing too. I think the defence - keeper, back 3-4-5 and defensive midfield - has the individual players of sufficient quality now to achieve a comfortable mid-table Championship position. We’re still some way off moulding these individuals as a unit and ironing out some player flaws - but I’m reasonably relaxed about this area of the team, assuming our coaches have the nouse to deal with these issues. We are massively lacking though in decent wide attacking players and forwards. There is always a danger that the absence of quality attacking forward players and play overloads the defence due both to lack of ‘up front’ ball retention and goals. I think we currently just have the attacking prowess to avoid that occurrence but the out balls ain’t easy for defence when the attackers are either awol, slow or sprinting around into blind alleys. We will continue to play and win ugly until the attacking side of the game is addressed. We will also lose - frequently. I think we are going to have to get used to Ole’s critical match reports as we’re far from being anything that resembles a fluid, well-oiled machine. I did think he was a bit harsh on some of the individual scores on the Millwall game but sometimes judgements are coloured by the overall team performance/result. In Nige I trust though, so I’m confident Ole will be back to his enthusiastic, jolly self in the Spring assuming we invest in a couple of decent attackers in the next window.

Or maybe it was Big Nige from his sick bed.

As can be seen from the top 6 rated players on the BBC site going to NP players. If only eh….

He’s doing a fine job, out-performing the likes of Garner and far more devious than a rather disappointing Tisdale - who got found out far too early for my liking. Extend his contract I say. Could be up for a lifetime achievement award soon. Why leave? Think now Little’s left he needs to get a few ex-City back in their squad to seal the deal. Got to say, when they were 4th in League 1 and played Plymouth on TV they looked a half decent side. Glad their hierarchy acted quickly to ensure their demise.

We’re still slightly shit, but less shit than we were. Progress. Never doubted a proper football manager could sort us out. Only concern was once appointed, he would realise just how shit we were and bugger off. Pearson seems to be sticking with us. Thanks Ashton for sinking us so low, when you had all the cards available to really take us places.

Stay strong. You will win, many do.

If Carlsberg did Saturdays… they wouldn’t be much better than this! Add Torquay 5-0 FGR 2-0

I suspect his contract renewal was more to do with Ashton’s self-driven business strategy ie he did want to lose SL a few £million early on in his relationship, than any real desire to retain an appreciating asset. Personally, I could see no benefit in the renewal, apart from maybe a quick sale in the first transfer window which would have clawed back some money. We have to assume the managers/CEO’s of the other 91 league clubs didn’t value CoD as much as Ashton did. Nice to see though that we kept CoD but gave a far superior Taylor away to Oxford. Must have been a way of Ashton thanking Oxford for CoD being such good business. I think Nige must be somewhat bewildered that he has a player on his books that is a past international and, no doubt, in the top 10 highest paid players in the Club. Logic would be that he must be worthy of a place in the first team or, at the very least, around the squad. Like Ralph, I’ve always hoped for a re-set. The thought, ‘that’ Norwich wonder goal is the real CoD and we’ve just got a stand-in for 99% of the time. It ain’t happening though. Even if it does, belatedly in his contract, one suspects he’ll do a Fam and shaft us. No, fed up now and his presence on the pitch just serves to remind me of the very dark days of the Ashton/Johnson era.

Ralph - I think he’s found the petrol, it’s just a case it has a high lead content.

Always rated Ole’s reports but thought Bents was immense ( even coming -successfully - for crosses), and a bit harsh markings-wise on Kalas, Atkinson and Pring. But - if the reports are true - that a Bristol City fan managed 3 cross bar hits in succession that is deserved of a 10/10 and ‘player of the season’ award. Sign him up!!! Are that any videos of that awesome performance circulating?

As Nige would say ‘an impact’. Sorry, I still don’t know - 5 odd years into his contract - what his actual purpose is. Of the range of footballing attributes - shooting, dribbling, crossing, tackling, heading - which are his strengths? Once that’s established I’d be clearer in what to expect from him. CoD - a hugely good human I’ve no doubt - sums up Mark Ashton’s contribution to the Club for me.