bcfcredandwhite

Danger time for us now ?

I used to know Jerry who ran that pub back around the mid 1980s - his mate Steve used to run the Elm Tree in Bishopsworth for a while too (not at the same time). They were both good friends of mine - we used to play darts together in the Dundry Inn before they became pub landlords. I always quite liked the Black Cat.

I must get around to doing something with the open packet of chopped chorizo that's been in my fridge for a week. What do you think? I could fry it up with some garlic and green beans and service it in a scrambled egg dish? It would make a nice Revuelto tapas dish don't you think? I MUST do something with it because otherwise it will go off - and I HATE wasting food - particularly meat - it's really worrying me........

3 whole pages discussing the departure of a Manchester United manager? Each to their own I suppose - it's a free forum ? ? #antiplastic

... and Swindon too. Around £16 return. Why someone would choose to drive and park, not be able to have a beer, then have all the hassle getting back our of Bristol, for more than double the price?

Why don't you get the train? The Taunton train goes through Parson Street station.

They seem to raise their games against the historically 'better' sides - they've given Germany a few tough runouts over time. Well played to them.

This thread has been replicated on another forum. These are my thoughts: This is really difficult because for me there is only one stand-out winner and that is Alan Dicks. The others have had successes too but limited to a specific level and within different budgets. I’m also restricted to choosing from living memory!!! I suppose mine would be: Best: 1.Alan Dicks - legend the rest (in no particular order): 2. Terry Cooper - for keeping us in the league all those years ago 3. Gary Johnson - successive promotions and 90 minutes from realising the dream 4. Lee Johnson - for giving us that memorable cup run, plus the longest period in the second tier since the great AD - despite having his best and most influential players sold from under him time and again. 5. Pemberton - for instantly stopping the disastrous plummet under Cotts before LJ took over. Worst: (crikey there are so many to choose from!!) 1. Benny 2. Tinnion 3. Coppell 4. SOD 5. McInnes

How big is the project? It always seems HUGE where BS3 is concerned. For years and years we have seen our quest for premiership football described as a 'project' yet we have failed to taste the top flight for 40 years. It shouldn't be any harder for us than any other championship side (with the exception of the newly-relegated sides with their parachute money). Why should it be any harder for us than, say, Brentford, Swansea or Cardiff - all of whom have tasted the Premiership recently whilst we have still been huffing and puffing? The answer is of course that it's NOT harder. We are just masters of underachievement whereas those clubs invested their funds more wisely. It sometimes feels as if there is a curse on our club holding us back. We have what fans of many other clubs would LOVE to have; a £billionaire owner, shiny new premiership-ready stadium and facilities, Brand new training setup, HUGE catchment area, attractive vibrant location to tempt players to live locally - it's all there - just not on the pitch. SL needs to take a look at the setups that are employed at other clubs which have actually ACHIEVED the dream and apply them at Ashton Gate. The principle of football success is stupidly simple; you score more goals than the opposition. I can understand that in an environment where 24 teams are all fighting for just 3 places it isn't a 'given' that we would crack it, but I think it's incredible that despite SLs £millions that he has invested over however many years he's owned our club, we still haven't managed to achieve that elusive target. SL has been in charge since 2002 - nearly 20 years, and in that time all we've managed to achieve are a few Mickey Mouse cups and a couple of promotions from Div 3 to Div 2 (and relegations the other way too!!). This can't simply be blamed on LJ or Ashton - it goes back far further than their presence and has now outlived their tenancies at BS3. The buck has to stop with Steve Lansdown and how he has set up the club for failure. I am NOT calling for SL to go - of course not. I really appreciate the fact that he has invested so much of his money with us. All I'm asking for is that he re-evaluates the setup, looks at some other similar sized clubs which have achieved premiership football, analyse their successes (their management and their scouting setups in particular) and try and apply them to our club. I really thought he was doing just this when we appointed Nigel Pearson, but things have just stumbled and hiccupped along worse than under LJ - summer recruitment was poor, with us releasing first-team players like Diedhiou and Paterson* but not replacing them (no change there then) and now, with Nige off sick we, find ourselves fighting relegation without our manager in the dugout, with the 'leftovers' of the previous regime. * Just to be clear; I am not saying we shouldn't have let them go - their contracts were up - I'm saying that they should have been REPLACED.

Overrated? Look at his achievements at this level. he must be the most successful championship-level manager ever in the history of the game. Ok you don’t like him - but overrated he is not.

Well he can TALK a good game that’s for sure.

Monkey off our backs at last.

Of course but since then we’ve shed some ‘dead wood’ and added NPs ‘improvements’.

Why? When this group achieved successive top half finishes under LJ?

‘…all things must come to an end…’ …… yes - Barnsley’s losing streak!!!!

I’ve said before on another thread that I’m disappointed with the situation. I expected better from a Nigel Pearson side. Having said that, I think it would be stupid to sack him - unless we drop into the relegation zone. NP should be able to steady us. We’ll see. A loss to Barnsley would be disappointing (understatement) and some serious questions will be asked, but too soon for a sacking imho.

You seem to be ‘in the know’ about the recruitment setup. I’m not, so I bow to your superior knowledge and, assuming it’s true then there isn’t much to disagree with here - except your references to Weimann who, IMHO, is one of the few players (along with Kalas, Bentley, Massengo And Semenyo) from the ‘old’ regime who emerge with any credit. PS Yes, I know, I’ve changed my tune on Massengo - I used to think he was another of Ashton/LJs ‘duds’ but he’s improved a lot of late and looks like he has an exciting future ahead. I was wrong about him and I’m delighted!!

Has it opened yet?

Well done Nagy!!!

I've not had many happy away days. I've seen us lose to Forest several times, lose to Preston, lose to Hull, lose to Stoke, lose to Mansfield, lose to Swindon, lose to Walsall, lose to Watford........... even lose to the gas at Twerpton ? I know I've been to many others - mostly during the Terry Cooper days, but they must have been pretty boring because none of them spring to mind. In fact, I can say that in all my years I've seen us beat Carlisle and Walsall in the Fisher Price cup final, get an underserved win at Blackpool. first game of the season in the pouring rain with Steve Brooker getting a 'smash & grab' goal (Particularly harsh on Blackpool because our GK should have been sent off for making a 'save' outside the box). I saw us beat Brighton last game of LJs first season in charge which p155ed on Brighton's promotion parade! I also saw us beat Reading away a couple of seasons ago - one of Brownhill's last games for us with Paterson getting the only goal. Although a win is always nice I honestly can't say any of those were particularly memorable away days. Most of the away games I've been to have been pretty rubbish!!!

Sorry I don't agree with this. GJ was undone by a combination of a first-team player being taken ill the day of the match (McCoombe??) forcing GJ to re-jig his squad at the last minute, followed by an awful injury to Orr (fractured cheek-bone) during the game and a wonder-strike from an old dinosaur who had never hit one like that before and would never recreate that again. I think Hull were lucky on that day - or perhaps WE were REALLY unlucky, rather than Phil Brown 'out foxing' us with clever tactics.

Some heartbreaking stories on here. The closest I came to 'proper' depression was in 2003 when I'd lost my job and couldn't find another. I began to BELIEVE that I was unemployable - I would never work again and my life was pointless. The money was running out and I had a wife and 3 kids to somehow support. I would go back to bed after everyone had gone to school (the wife was a teacher) and just try to shut out the world. I would get up again at about 11:30 and apply for 20 jobs per day online before going down the local pub for a few beers. That was my routine. The beer bit sounds nice, but it cost more money and I was racked with guilt afterwards - every day. During that awful time I had to be very strict with myself to keep going. It really was like another person in my head telling me to keep it together. Luckily, I landed work in November of 2004 and have been in employment ever since. Since then I've lost my mum and I've suffered a really serious illness myself (Sepsis), which required major surgery and I was in hospital for 6 weeks, but even through those dark times I never felt as bad as I did in 2003-4. Depression is real and can consume you if you allow it. Stay safe everyone, take care and be nice. Friends and family were my best aids during my dark days.

Because nobody scored in his box? (I’ll get my coat…… ?)

I'm assuming he's been jabbed - seeing as he's been called up?

I personally am satisfied with the progress we are making. I must admit that I was surprised and disappointed about our dismal end to last season. I admit that I had expected more from a Nigel Pearson team and there wasn't anything in those performances to make me want him to continue managing our team. I would have thought that the players would have been desperate to impress their new manager - particularly the likes of Diedhiou who's contract was coming to an end, but the players seemed not to care. However, this season we are seeing the squad begin to gel and I do like the new midfield partnership. There have been a dew poor performances (eg Millwall) but overall I'm optimistic - and I'm sure a home win isn't far away. So - all good as far as I'm concerned.