Red Army 79

At School you would always have that kid that wasn’t good enough to play but turns up every week to make up the numbers. Mbude is that kid.

Personally if we are playing a back three I prefer Tanner, Dickie and Roberts.

Dickie has to play in the middle of the three due to his lack of pace. I also think Vyner struggles playing one of the wider Centre Back spots. Harsh it might sound but you need to play the players best suited to that position. Tanner on the right and Roberts on the left just feels a better balance.

If playing a back four then Vyner and Dickie no question. Atkinson been out for a year so will have a big fight on his hands to get back in. 

19 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Back to 8 subs & with JKL playing for the 21s, no defender on the bench, baffling.

Could argue it’s 7 on the bench with Mebude just making up the numbers. 

2 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

It does indeed, but I reckon it’ll be back-3 3421.

         MO

   GT RD HR

RM JK JW CP

      MS ST

         TC

I think this will be the formation as well.
 

If we are playing 3 Centre backs having Tanner on the right side and Robert’s on the left side makes sense. Vyner and Dickie also both seem to struggle in three centre back formation and prefer back four when they are both playing Centre backs together. 

1 hour ago, LondonBristolian said:

I really don’t get why people find it so implausible that there are people on these boards with contacts at the club and that they occasionally hear info that isn’t in the public domain. I also don’t really get why people find it wildly implausible that - after a run of bad results and poor performances - the players took a view on that or that the Technical Director had words with the manager. That strikes me as what would almost certainly happen, whether anyone heard about it or not.

What I would say is that, if either the players or Tinnion had views on what was needed to improve, I think Manning deserves credit for listening and taking feedback on board rather than being stubborn or defensive. A lot of people don’t engage with or learn from feedback and it can be a real flaw.

Completely agree

Id also be disappointed if these type of closed doors meetings that may or may not have happened got leaked to the public. 

It would show a lack of respect, integrity and not great for both trust and team morale. 
 

Let’s hope we can continue to finish the season on a high creating a bit of positivity going into next season. 
 

Our last two promotion seasons started with a change of management that didn’t start off to well but on both occasions got on a bit of a run at the end of the season prior and that momentum continued into the promotion season.  

1 hour ago, mozo said:

Nooooo... you just invented a story

I’m not making up story’s I find it bizarre that before the international break we were shocking. Couldn’t score couldn’t defend and now we have suddenly gone on this run.

Hope Manning doesn’t turn out like Lee Johnson where we lose 6 on the trot then win 6 on the trot etc. 

Do we think that during the international break there were some constructive meetings between the management and players where the players stood up to Manning regarding the way we were playing or Tinnion has had words as he originally said he would regarding the front foot playing style. Or finally it got through to Manning that the possession style wasn’t working and he adapted  to safe his job. 

What ever the reason  since the international break results wise anyway we are a completely different side.

I haven’t seem them since the change in form has moving Knight deeper made a big difference? 

In 2024 Nakhi has scored double the amount of league goals as Conway

55 minutes ago, Fredford89 said:

Let the Pearson Obsession die if anything think he’s laid down the foundations as he did when he last left Leicester

Twine was the big January signing he starts we beat Leicester get off Pearsons parsnip and give Manning a chance 

You are correct Twine did start and we beat Leicester. However you do realise that he was taken off when the score was 0-0 and his replacement got the assist don’t you?

This terrific win will keep Manning here until next season. Is he the right man for the job…. No in my opinion but I don’t know if that’s because I don’t warm to him. What I found refreshing about Pearson when we had all the injuries his response is it is what it is… we go with what we got etc. Manning blames injuries / lack of time on the grass. Comes across has pathetic in all honesty.
 

You could argue that the games that we have won under Manning the players have needed no motivation but the games the players do it doesn’t seem to be there. Mannings subs against a park the bus team also seems to be like for like. For example how often has Conway and Wells been played up top together. They struck a good partnership under Pearson. I’m not talking about them being in the same team and one being played out of position out wide like the Leeds game but actually up front together as a two.

With a full pre-season for Manning lack of time grass excuse what have gone. 
 

Next season if we continue to play one up it’s imperative that Tinnion sticks to his word and brings in a striker who can play up top on his own. Conway 1 league goal in 2024 just isn’t good enough and he isn’t strong enough to play there at the moment.

It was also great to see Knight playing deeper as he has been out of position for months. When Twine goes back to Burnley it is vital that this position is recruited. If James is also not kept on we will struggle to replace someone that good.

I still feel we have a good squad we just lack that killer instinct.

I understand season ticket holders in the south stand renewing as if they don’t before the deadline they won’t be able to get a season ticket in that stand.

hopefully they renew on the last day.

I was seriously looking to get my first season ticket this season. I Finally got permission from the wife.

I work one in four weekends, every Wednesday night and every other Friday night also have a family commitments holidays etc so won’t be able to make every game.

Before the info came out I was hoping to get a season ticket in the South Stand as the price was affordable to me so I’m disappointed this is not going to be possible.

The cheapest season ticket for me now would be £485. Currently based on this seasons member prices for gold matches if I’ve done my maths right I would need to attend about 16 out of the 23 games to get my money back from the season ticket.

Think I’m going to stay as a member this season and see how many games I can attend and look again at a season ticket the following season. 

On 31/10/2023 at 10:04, CyderInACan said:

 

Just listened to this interview again.

Front Foot Football

High Intensity Football

Use of Academy

I take it this style of play has also been discussed with Manning?

Looking at the form guide from both of our last six games we have taken the same amount of points. 
 

We are going to need to be at our best to win this one. 

To be honest I’m quite pleased Manning changed a formation mid match as I was a bit concerned he has a formation and won’t move away from it whatever the game situation or a players strength.

For example playing with wing backs wasn’t working against Leeds. They killed us with the space down the wings and in the middle. When Bell came on I thought great he is going to change it and go to a back four. No played Bell as a wingback?

Against Millwall & Leeds could we have gone a bit more direct last 10 minutes tried something different like sticking Dickie up top?

I think he wanted to preserve the lead against Boro and remembered what happened at Preston and when Boro played us at Ashton Gate when we conceded early in the 2nd half and wanted us to be more solid.

I think this is a positive step.

36 minutes ago, Fpcity said:

Same here regarding the football under Wilson. 

Would that be described as direct football? I'm no fan of possession football, can't stand watching Man city. 

Yeah probably be classed as direct. Wasn’t long ball as it wasn’t the aim to lump it to Peacock.

Would love to have a team with some pace again

Do we as fans actually want possession football? Last season we were a counting attacking side and Pearson said at the start of the season that we are moving from a counter attacking team to a more possession based.

From a personal note the best football I’ve seen and enjoyed watching City play was under Danny Wilson. At times it was possession based but it centred around getting the ball to Brian Tinnion and then his raking 60/ 70 yard balls straight to the feet of Scott Murray to run on to who would more often or not then either outpace / skin the fullback and either come inside and shoot or go down the line and put a cross in. It certainly got me off my seat instead of the sideways football not going anywhere I’m seeing today. 

Our current style reminds me of England when they lost to Iceland. Teams will just sit back and hit us on the counter as Leeds did on Friday. We are to predictable. 

7 hours ago, Street red said:

Pearson only played bell at rwb because we had no right side players then he moved him to left and was a different player once tanner was back. Now Mannings here we have two fit right sided players but still plays bell rwb I just don't understand stand it.Bell was class under Pearson.

Can only put it down to Manning not having a clue what he’s doing. Same argument can me made with Knight also being played out of position. 

Question is. If we buy a big striker and a number 10 will Manning be told that they need to be played in their natural positions?

I’ll take last night as a prime example. Plays both Wells and Conway. I think great either going to play two up or Conway just behind Wells. No same formation just played Wells up on his own and played a striker on the wing with a Centre Midfielder on the other wing?

Winning losing or drawing our formation doesn’t change!!

I’m looking to buy a season ticket next season. The first time I’ll ever have a season ticket so this thread is very interesting for me as due to working commitments I know I won’t be able to attend once a month on a Saturday (hopefully this falls on an away match), Wednesday night games  (fingers crossed majority of our home evening games will be on a Tuesday) & work late every other Friday (hopefully sky don’t re-arrange Saturday to a Friday to often.)

If I do end up getting a season ticket I will know the games I can’t attend well in advance. If the club ever did do a buy back scheme I’d be very interested in it.  I do like Brentford’s idea. 

Five out of the Six stands with availability are in the Family Stands where an Adult can’t buy a ticket without a child and vice versa. With all these being singular seats not sure how these will get sold without a child being separated from an Adult so it’s as close to a sell out as possible. 

8 minutes ago, phantom said:

The ONLY time you had to use the entrance by the park for the Dolman stand was the very first game the new horseshoe concourse was opened. It was a decision that was very quickly stopped 

You can use any turnstile for any part of the ground 

I must have gone to that first game and been walking round ever since Nightmare!! Almost missed kick off for the West Ham game. 

5 minutes ago, Sleepy1968 said:

You can use any home turnstile to gain access to the ground/concourse. Did I understand the question?

1 minute ago, italian dave said:

You can enter via the Lansdown or South Stand and still get round to the Dolman….

Perfect Thank you. Will save me a 10 minute walk. 

I’m a City member and normally go to about 4 or 5 games a season. I normally sit in the Lansdown stand with my daughter sitting up in the family enclosure.

I live in Ross on Wye so use the Portway park and ride so I enter the ground area via the gates by KFC. This works well if sitting in the Lansdown as can enter the ground via gates by all the takeaway outlets. 

However I sat in the Dolman for the West Ham game and you didn’t use to be able to go through the turnstiles to the south stand and get access to the dolman so last Tuesday I assumed this was still the case so battled through the crowds along the Lansdown stand who were queuing to get in the ground back onto the road at the back of the Ayteo then back into the stadium at the Dolman at the Ayteo end.

After the game I noticed that fans turned right at the back of the stand and were able to walk through the back of the Dolman, past the South Stand and out at the doors in the main area.

Can I get access to the ground prior to kick off this way in future or is this just for the end of the game?

The way I see it is Twine has been brought in on loan to cover Weimann leaving. 

With City by the sound of it not willing to play Weimann again due his contract situation using Weimanns wage to cover a fair proportion of Twine's.

Its a shame that this doesn’t sound to be a view to a permanent deal or isn’t a permanent deal, but if we have decided not to play Weimann it might have left us short for cover if we pick up a few injuries so I can see why Twine has been brought in.

Great that we have made Garner-Hickmans deal permanent.