Will Rollason

1 hour ago, Alessandro said:

This is hugely reliant on the next appointment though. You're presuming they:

A) Have the wish to continue building on these foundations in same sort of way.

B) Have the ability to maintain these standards.

As others point out, history has shown us, time and again, BCFC have a poor track record in any sort of continuity of strategy or managerial personality/ethos - as KITR says above, swinging from one idea to another. Which leaves us ripping up the rule book and starting again.

I think those who know my posting history over the last 10 years plus on OTIB know I've been a huge backer of SL, supporting him in the face of much criticism.

I'm not angry now or hysterical or frustrated - just wisened, perhaps disappointed - and over the last 15 years I've watched his actions and although there is praise to be given in areas, i've seen the same mistakes made time and again - most recently losing control under MA and LJ as he did under GJ and the appointment of Holden. Is he the only club owner making those mistakes, hell no. 

But the reality is we've been at best treading water league position wise under SL, the only moments of upwards movement being to put right the downwards movements on his watch. 

When you sit back and think, wow, look at what Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton, Luton, Forest, Fulham to name 6 teams out of 20 plus who've been in the premier league for sometime during this SL period - you look at the potential of BCFC and you see the same patterns, same mistakes made over and over - coupled with the increasing detachment of the board with the fans - I don't think it's unreasonable for fans like me to look at and say, this doesn't add up and I can't simply blindly get behind the actions of this board anyone - even if to you "it's just an impending managerial that really isn't a big deal/happens all the time in football/chill out just because OK".

 

Good stuff man. The one that really grinds me is Bournemouth. I can live with the others as for one reason or another top flight doesn't seem out of the ordinary, annoying as **** but ok... but Bournemouth?

It grinds me that they have Lloyd Kelly, Antoine semenyo and Alex Scott. Yes...45million ish thank you but... Why not us with those players and more besides. Only one reason and that is Eddie Howe. 

Is that all that's missing for us?

21 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I believe the succession plan is currently employed.

His name is Rob Edwards and he's at Luton Town in the Premier League.  That's not me joking about SL and the Luton model....That is who I understand the club had earmarked, whilst he was at FGR, which is only 16 months ago.

I assume they've updated the succession plan?

I've nothing against Edwards at all (quite like him, not as much as Duff or Taylor from that group), but it maybe shows which pond we might be looking in for Nige's replacement.

 

I would guess/ hope  they've earmarked a few younger,  "lower" league managers as that's where we've been shopping for players. 

The list of out of work managers is just depressing and as someone has already pointed out, Nige would be top of that list

Any names spring to mind? 

2 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I honestly don’t think he has months.

yeah, this whole thing has gone from 0-60 real fast, i knew nothing about it until NP post match comments as i suspect did most of us. Only going to be one outcome after that imo.

3 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

 

I don't have much to add to brighten the mood unfortunately. In fact if I were to go into some specifics I'd imagine the anger and frustration felt would be worse.

I think the situation is reminiscent of the lead up to Cotterill's departure. A CEO leaving at the end of the summer, an outspoken manager showing their frustration, ultimately leading to a decision being made by the Lansdowns to fire him, but take their time in doing it so that they could line up a replacement.

Last time it was LJ, who'd they'd been speaking to weeks ahead of Cotterill's departure, and this time there is also time for a succession plan. 

It could be weeks still until this all comes to a head, or it could be days. I guess the natural cut-off point would be as it was with Cotterill, the new year, when the window opens and the new man can begin to help steer the recruitment process.

As I said earlier today, bar a miraculous run off form under Nige, I can't at the moment see how things play out any differently to the above. 

Was thinking this earlier. I think he's gone. Parallels not just with Cotts but how his other jobs have played out. Very interested to see who they've lined up.

3 minutes ago, richwwtk said:

I thought this was going to be a birthday message for the gap, isn't it 22 years old somewhere about now?

Mind the gap

Link

Heard a brief interview with their CEO (maybe).

Something like 2/3rds of German supporters think football is far too expensive. He believes this is the case across Europe. 

From my own perspective I was a season ticket holder a few years ago , couldn't get down enough to justify it, so became an occasional visitor.. which is now far, far too expensive for me and family. 

That being said, if City are filling the Gate up as it is, why would they change it to help folk like me? Wouldn't have thought it would go down too well with the season ticket holders either. 

De Klerk can **** right off tho.... i remember ee

so impressed with the Boks... French started so well, many sides would have crumbled right there but no. 

im in danger of enjoying this

3 minutes ago, Jose said:

We will get battered by either of these. It’s ridiculous.

French are SO good, but the boks are in front.... awesomw

wow.....ermmm

i generally dislike egg chasing of the english variety which seems to me to involve an awful lot of hoofing, but was pleasantly surprised by the first half. 

Fiji were great, loving that through the legs pass and the dummy afterwards, but the 2nd half soon became a kick fest which was a shame. Anyway. Allez les bleus. n'est pas?

12 hours ago, 1964w said:

That's a great compliment coming from an opposition fan 

Archie is in debut season making nine appearances as a central midfielder, today he played his tenth game as a right-back as Spence (signed from Spurs, played only 10 minutes) & Shackleton are injured & I assume Farke didn't trust Ayling against your wingers. 

Archie has been sensational for us, not one bad game. He is the son of Andy Gray, the grandson of Frank Gray, and the great nephew of Eddie Gray who have all played for Leeds in the past, so his quality is in his genes!

That's some heritage! I was a Leeds fan as a nipper,  year younger than you by the looks of it, and they were the team of the day. 

Eddie Gray.. proper winger..can see him now jinking away

Talking Leeds stuff, I saw a clip of the infamous Giles vs Keegan match up.. Giles literally decks him and gets a finger wagging and Keegan gets sent off! 

Where was the marking? Someone switched off, shame really coz they've defended really well

Don't know why I watch... painful

2 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

significant number of baffling decisions since VAR came in 

you're probably right.  VAR is supposed to lead to less debate, but it cant, its still mostly subjective including the close offsides ( not yesterday) . I would much rather leave it to the ref right or wrong.

If they cant get an offside right , which is supposedly objective, then whats the point? 

The refs and linos calls are subjective, so whats the point of having more refs look at a subjective decision? Its taking away the ability of refs to make calls as 9 times out of ten they go to the monitor and change their mind as they have lost confidence.

It wont happen now, but i think the game should be brave and say, "look, we're just going to live with the on field calls right or wrong" and ditch the VAR, we have goal line tech and thats all we can really be objective about

Is it just me or can mark chapman just **** all the way off? Clueless.... Thankfully watching sky now... never thought I'd say it 

On 20/09/2023 at 20:56, luke_bristol said:

 

 

The two highest scoring games I’ve witnessed are City 0-6 Cardiff 

I was still a season ticket holder then,that was brutal and totally out of the blue as we had a great record against them. 

Just looked at the team, 

• 22 Gerken
• 02 Orr
• 03 McAllister (Nyatanga 46yellow card)
• 04 Fontaine
• 06 Carey
• 11 Hartley (Sno 79)
• 14 Skuse
• 20 Campbell-Ryce
• 10 Maynard
• 31 Haynes (Elliott 50)
• 36 Agyemang

Not bad is it? But the game I remember better was the FA cup defeat to them in the snow ..

GJ tripping Chopra over ("He deserved it") is one of my favourite football moments ever. I mean, totally unacceptable and all that but..

Where's IAmNick with the highlights? That's the burning question

11 hours ago, Jose said:

I know it’s early days but the defending in this league this year has been awful. Watford Cov before the international break was even worse. 

Did you see Germany vs Japan recently?

Only saw the highlights but looked like an absolutely cracking game to watch... could have been 3-8 !

German manager under some pressure now, to say the least, with them hosting the Euros....

32 minutes ago, TomF said:

And people question why this thread exists. 

Never. This is the greatest thread in the history of the internet. FACT.

6 hours ago, elhombrecito said:

Sorry to be pedantic, but your elbow can't be offside, as you can't legally play the ball with your elbow.

Are you sorry tho?? I think not i was being facetious tbh... how about kneecap? 

We can't bottle this VR genie up now,  I don't like it personally but in effect ,same as old school dodgy lino  calls, sometimes it's to your benefit and sometimes it's not.  

Saying that,  judging someone offside by, say,  their elbow as the moment the ball is stuck is ludicrous. 

As is using the system subjectively,  that's the point of the referee on the pitch,  it's his opinion and to ask him to look at it again almost always results in a change of mind, must be demoralizing.