Just Left The Match

[grove park city]

Silver lining though chaps... McCombe sent off. Happiest I've felt all season. Worth going to the next couple of games now. Couldn't see if it was a straight red or two yellows though from my vantage?

Naughty,Naughty what are you trying to imply that he is a lumbering ,slow,ungamely liability ?????

[I BELIEVE]

I am not normally one to criticise, but today we were poor. Simple. That doesn't mean I have no faith in GJ because I feel he has done wonders to our club, and still has the potential to do so. Today though, we looked very average and slow on the ball, against an average Derby side. To be honest it was one of the most one sided second half's I have ever seen in football, but also, at times things just didn't fall our way (eg refereeing decisions ect). I'm sure if the referee had pointed to the spot when Hartley was bundled over in the last min and we tucked it away there wouldn't be all this fuss. Carey was missed at the back today, as we looked very unstable, even when McCombe was correctly sent off, and at times Basso's kicking was shocking and a better side would have punished us for it, and although he could do nothing about the goal, I would like to see Gerken back in. Of course the side won't change for Tuesady or next Saturday because of the virus but i would like to see a change in midfield. The four central midfielders in a four man midfield simply doesn't work. Marv never looked comfertable out wide and and we were sloppy in the middle. We saw Sno play CM against us for Ajax and he was outstanding, so why are we sticking him out on the wing? And also, where the hell is Gavin Williams? Towards the end of last season he was the creative, intelligent midfielder that we were then and are missing now. There were some positives to take out of today mind; Danny Haynes is back playing again, I thought Lee Johnson had one of his better games, Hartley and Savage was a good battle and Evander Sno looks different class. I am confident that we will beat Blackpool on Tuesday, but things will need to change if we want to take something from Newcastle next week. ALWAYS BELIEVE

[reddoc]

Wouldn't argue with that.

Just get frustrated by some people's outrageous comments.

Well I'll have a go at frustrating you, but I think certainly over the last two seasons that this team is rapidly going backwards . Whether we look at our ability to entertain, or alternatively to maintain interest by demonstrating an ability to be a genuine top 6 challenger this team and the tactics employed is failing miserably on both counts. I personally don't see this changing , but who knows , maybe next time we suffer a virus it'll leave the wide men unaffected and we'll be forced to attack the opposition. Course pretty hypothetical as we don't have any.

[Eddie Hitler]

Through all the dark days of division three we craved continuity, too many managers coming in and replacing all the players (Pulis was just the worst of them).

Well with GJ we finally got it. And it got us into the Championship and, unlike the John Ward yo yo season, every prospect of staying there.

All clubs have bad patches when things don't work like they did, and we have had our first injury crisis for ages. Anybody who is seriously calling for GJ to be replaced is just wrong. Continuity is what builds great teams and great clubs. There will always be the odd bad season, you just have to take the long view.

Anybody who saw the Bobby Robson tribute today will have seen he was at Ipswich for 14 years and in that time signed just 12 players. That is how you get to be great. You have faith in your players and in your management and you stick with them even when they hit a bad patch.

I am hugely pleased that GJ is now in the top 10 longest serving managers and want to see him keep climbing the list, and keeping Keith Millen with him. That is how the glory days will come back.

1. Alex Ferguson

appointed Nov 1986

duration 23 seasons

club Manchester United

2. Arsene Wenger

appointed Sep 1996

duration 13 seasons

club Arsenal

3. John Coleman

appointed Aug 1999

duration 10 seasons

club Accrington Stanley

4. David Moyes

appointed Mar 2002

duration 7 seasons

club Everton

5. Steve Tilson

appointed Nov 2003

duration 6 seasons

club Southend United

6. John Still

appointed Apr 2004

duration 5 seasons

club Dagenham & Redbridge

7. Rafael Benitez

appointed Jun 2004

duration 5 seasons

club Liverpool

8. Dave Jones

appointed May 2005

duration 4 seasons

club Cardiff City

9. Gary Johnson

appointed Sep 2005

duration 4 seasons

club Bristol City

10. Paul Trollope

appointed Nov 2005

duration 4 seasons

club Bristol Rovers

11. Gareth Southgate

appointed Jun 2006

duration 3 seasons

club Middlesbrough

[CiderSomerset]

People are talking about putting things into perspective, well how about this for abit of perspective - what alot of people are forgetting is that the poor form and results started with a 1-0 defeat at Doncaster last season. Since then, we have played 24 league games and gained just 24 points. That is relegation form, make no mistake about it, if we continue with that average of one point per game, we are going to be close to going down.

Lansdown has backed GJ again over the summer and brought in the players he has asked for. We have some quality players in the squad but the football being played is poor to say the least. I have been supporting City for a long time and us City fans are used to seeing the wingers, examples such as Jackie, Walshy, Tinnion, Murray, Goodridge and Cotterill. At present we have no one anyone near that quality and that is what is costing us dearly as there is no outlet and a serious lack of service for the front men.

GJ is picking players who simply are not good enough. I would rather see a youngster given a chance when we are struggling with illness / injuries than someone who is not up to the job.

At the moment, we are being negative because it seems we are scared of getting a stuffing, sod that, lets go on the offensive and try to put the oppsition on the back foot. I would be happier after we lost if we had tried to win and score goals, rather than being negative.

The bug that has been doing the rounds cannot be blamed for a problem that was there before players started getting ill...

[Pederho ll]

Wouldn't argue with that.

Just get frustrated by some people's outrageous comments.

I agree with your frustrations, but some of these comments are not without substance.

The fact remains that GJ does not know how to apply the necessary personal or tactics to his team of players to make them an attacking threat on a consistant basis. This has been his achilles heel during his reign at BCFC and there are no signs of this being overcome. Trust me I don't want to be on here making negative comments about our manager, but the trouble is people who make these obervations do so because they are massively frustrated the the lack of address by GJ to this particular issue.

Now is this because he is unable to attract the right sort of players to BCFC or is it because he is tactically naive when it comes to offensive play? Well, he has been able to sign some pretty good players of late, so I can only conclude that he really doesn't have the know-how to break teams down......it not even a case of a lack of goals, its worse than that, its a lack of decent chances. Were it not for some absolute wonder strikes by Maynard we would be in a lowly position in this league, which I think would be a far fairer representation of our play to date than the position we actually do currently hold.

I support the bloke, always have and always will, but if we are to have a successful season he needs to sort out our creativity and get us a cutting edge fast.

Therefore in summary I think he needs to;

a) Ditch this silly 'fluid' formation that he is playing and go back to a 4-4-2....you cannot accommodate Hartley, Elliot, Sno, LJ in the same starting team and expect to make chances, never going to happen, ever ever ever.......

b) Get in two quality wide men as quickly as possible, or play the likes of Haynes/Sproule out wide in the mean time. Forget playing ball-players out wide, its all too easy for opposition full-backs

Finally, I'd say develop some back bone, stop worrying about keeping a tight ship and really have a go at teams, nobody is gong to complain if you lose having had a real go at the opposition.......otherwise sad to say there will be more and more people like Greebo, who will simply say, its boring, unentertaining and just not worth the time, money or hassle.

So GJ, think to yourself this evening, 'What would Seve do....250yard, over tree's lake and sand, or lay up and play for safety...........well he would have given it go' and that is what made one of the greatest players ever....he would stare directly down the barrel and say lets go for it.....and I think we are at a juncture where you need to do just that, give it go, a real go, get some flare back in the team, use Hartley, Sno, Elliot to break-up play and spray balls all over the pitch, get wingers out wide with chalk on their boots, running full speed at the full-backs scaring the living daylights out of them, get Maynard, Saborio et al, breaking with pace into the box to slam home a cut back from the by-line, get that mentality back in the squad that if they score 3 will score 4,.....we can bloody do this, I know we can, but just give it go!!!!!

[citybabe]

Perspective - Nyatanga has been on the bench ans not selected for a couple of weeks.Johnson has brought Lee back in to the team and kept him in causing one og our better players Cole Skuse to siy out games.He has decided to clear out wingers and also he has had 2 quality signings in Saborio and Sno and still can't get the team playing good attacking football with the ability to score goals.Without Nicky Maynard's wonder goals we would be at the bottom of the league.Perspective is GJ has had all he asked for from Steve Lansdown and is simply not cutting it.It is high time he earnt his money and started to put up or shut up.

ne og our better players Cole Skuse to siy out games.

Cole Skuse is INJURED that's why he's not playing!!

[BITW]

Well I'll have a go at frustrating you, but I think certainly over the last two seasons that this team is rapidly going backwards . Whether we look at our ability to entertain, or alternatively to maintain interest by demonstrating an ability to be a genuine top 6 challenger this team and the tactics employed is failing miserably on both counts. I personally don't see this changing , but who knows , maybe next time we suffer a virus it'll leave the wide men unaffected and we'll be forced to attack the opposition. Course pretty hypothetical as we don't have any.

Fair enough. You are one of many pissed off with the negative style and in particular cant understand (myself, likewise) the lack of wingers.

But what gets me is this. We played QPR about a month ago. The reaction:

Basically how amazing our football was, particularly first half. I think I even recall comments along the lines of,

"One of the best performances I have seen down the gate in years".

Then shortly afterwards we get the win against boro. The reaction - we are genuine promotion candidates.

Then we play Cov and swansea away - both draws. I'm sure not many would complain about drawing away, even more so when you consider the numerous absentees.

Then Scunny last week. We conceded the late goal and dropped two points. You might argue we deserved to win but we didn't so thats irrelevant. Disapointing result.

And today. Well, you dont need me to tell you that it was crap. No cutting edge and seemingly negative tactics. Very disapointing.

You might say our last 5 games have gone something like:

Boro - Great Result

Coventry - decent result

Swansea - Decent result

Scunny - disapointing

derby crap.

I know people are complaining more about tactics rather than the results alone. But many on here felt the 3-5-2 formation we started with was working well. And we used it up until we were torn apart by illness/injury. We cant use that as an excuse but is has happened and we havn't been able to field a consistant team.

It just goes to show how quickly opinions/views change and IMO, just how fickle us fans are. How many of us would have said "has GJ taken us as far as he can?" after the boro game. Can that much change over four games - three of which saw us get a result?

Maybe thats our right considering the money we spend to support our team? But IMO, without pointing the finger at anyone in particular, no-one can deny BCFC fans are a fickle bunch.

[Dollymarie]

ne og our better players Cole Skuse to siy out games.

Cole Skuse is INJURED that's why he's not playing!!

He actually had a cold today, but in any case was still not available for selection.

[talksense]

I thought this Forum was worth joining but after reading these messages I realise that most of the people that write them no absolutely nothing about the game. We are 11 games into the season and we have lost 2 games and I accept drawn more than I would have liked. The team as been blighted by illness or injury so a consistent side that GJ would probably want hasn't been possible. We also have new players that need time to blend with the team and they are close to doing that. Those of you that think GJ won't be Manager for much longer need your heads tested or more likely need to grow up! He has a job to do and I for one believe that in the end he will do it - he is a loyal person unlike some of the City fans!

[Guest ashtonyate]

Naughty,Naughty what are you trying to imply that he is a lumbering ,slow,ungamely liability ?????

McCombe may not be a world beater but if you take him out of the team,any team we play who have a good header in its side is on to a winner because Fontain carey and the kid we got from derby are vulnerable from high balls in the box .

Generally Jamie disciplinary record is good its is worth remembering Scunny had 10 men on the field when they got one back.

Stop making a scape goat out of McCombe for today's defeat, when you have one shot on target & four off its the other end of the field the trouble is.

[reddoc]

Fair enough. You are one of many pissed off with the negative style and in particular cant understand (myself, likewise) the lack of wingers.

But what gets me is this. We played QPR about a month ago. The reaction:

Basically how amazing our football was, particularly first half. I think I even recall comments along the lines of,

"One of the best performances I have seen down the gate in years".

Then shortly afterwards we get the win against boro. The reaction - we are genuine promotion candidates.

Then we play Cov and swansea away - both draws. I'm sure not many would complain about drawing away, even more so when you consider the numerous absentees.

Then Scunny last week. We conceded the late goal and dropped two points. You might argue we deserved to win but we didn't so thats irrelevant. Disapointing result.

And today. Well, you dont need me to tell you that it was crap. No cutting edge and seemingly negative tactics. Very disapointing.

You might say our last 5 games have gone something like:

Boro - Great Result

Coventry - decent result

Swansea - Decent result

Scunny - disapointing

derby crap.

I know people are complaining more about tactics rather than the results alone. But many on here felt the 3-5-2 formation we started with was working well. And we used it up until we were torn apart by illness/injury. We cant use that as an excuse but is has happened and we havn't been able to field a consistant team.

It just goes to show how quickly opinions/views change and IMO, just how fickle us fans are. How many of us would have said "has GJ taken us as far as he can?" after the boro game. Can that much change over four games - three of which saw us get a result?

Maybe thats our right considering the money we spend to support our team? But IMO, without pointing the finger at anyone in particular, no-one can deny BCFC fans are a fickle bunch.

On a personal level, tend not to post unless I've seen the game but would comment that QPR we had a good 20 mins first half but failed to maintain that form, Boro could have gone either way, certainly they were the better team first half, won it with the last kick. Cov/Swansea didn't see.

It's been so long since I've seen us dominate a game that I struggle to remember. Derby away last year and Sheff Utd away the yr before come to mind both lost and I didn't care because I came away feeling that we had the ability to play that way. Interestingly both times we were chasing the game which again brings into question the tactics employed if we're not actually losing as I feel they would have been entirely differnt spectacles if the other team hadn't scored early on.

[Guest Red Nee Tot]

whereas I go to see some decent football being played.

So why do you go to Ashton gate then my friend.

[redrebel]

Nyatanga's been ill. Skuse was ill today. We've had huge numbers of injured and ill players and have not had a settled squad all year. To be honest, I think we're doing pretty well all things considered. I hope we revert to 3-5-2. Given our squad, it's a good, attacking option but, as has been said, the lack of centre halfs has made it pretty tricky.

Not wishing to be rude but if you consider what is being served up as doing quite well then heaven help us.The unbending and blind support for Johnson even when he gets it wrong which he clearly is at the moment may well be our downfall.

[comfortinsound]

I hear what you're saying, i felt similar feelings today.

BUT we support our team no matter what, and days like these make the better days EVEN better. Whereas if you (not you personally!) glory support a top four team, from a city not your home, who hardly ever lose and win something every season, you'd never really feel the lows, so the highs wouldn't be as sweet as ours. We all remember when tinman was manager. Fine player though! But how much better it is now with Gary. Everytime i feel disappointed i think back to the 2004 playoff final, or all those years in league one, losing 1-0 to walsall in the pissing rain on a freezing tuesday night. I also think of these times when we beat teams like boro!

Things really aren't that bad, if we put in a good performance on tues we'll all feel a lot happier!

[mcbcfc]

My perspective on today is that the players gave 100% but the managers slection, formation, tactics and substitutions were flawed and we also went to pieces when McCombe was sent off as the players clearly didn't understand what was being asked of them - Derby rang rings around us.

It could and should have been a 5 or 6-0 defeat, but Derby were shockingly poor in front of goal. In fact, I'd say they were one of the worst championship sides I've seen since we got promoted - which says it all really.

IMO that embarrassing display was entirely down to the management, although reading GJ's comments he sees it differently and blames Saborio for missing two first half chances, no change there then. Those were our only two chances mate, and that aint good enough. YOU sort it out Gary, that's what you're paid to do.

After a shite journey to Derby to watch that crap, and just as shite a journey getting back, it really tests the patience and does have you questioning "why do I bother spending so much money to just get pissed off - I can do that at home for nothing or do some work and get paid for it".

And they wonder why the attendances are down and question the supporters loyalty and ambition.

Eff off.

Rant over, off to the pub.

Spot on with everything - no width = no goals

I know we've had injuries and illness but to get rid of our only winger with the ability to cross a ball (even if he had no pace to get to the by-line) in McIndoe and end up playing Marv wide left????? It's like Benny's tactics again how long before we end up with Maynard playing out wide? I appreciate what GJ has acheived but to have played 180 minutes of football against two poor but resilant teams and created only 3 chance of worth is poor. I said earlier in the week need width and having travelled up to Derby with some hope of 3 points and seeing the same negative line up is disheartening.

It's bad enough being beaten by a rubbish Derby side but the worst thing is we were worse than them!!!!

[I BELIEVE]

A typical Bristol City season now would be to go away to Newcastle and beat them on saturday

[Tunley Legend]

So why do you go to Ashton gate then my friend.

I know you are taking the p1$$ but the reason I go to Ashton Gate at the moment is out of blind loyalty and to make sure my son gets to the game. It certainly isn't to see the good football dished up by GJ's team.

When I see blokes like CYNIC getting the needle, a guy who has consistently defended our cockney gaffer on here in the face of criticism, then I know that GJ has f00ked up his job today - big time. Johnson has got a good squad of players with the exception of decent wide players - whose fault is that? And yet he cannot get these players playing good football on anything like a regular basis. Three common faults that the manager seems either unable or unwilling to rectify are lack of goals, too much hoofball or lack of width.

[Tunley Legend]

I thought this Forum was worth joining but after reading these messages I realise that most of the people that write them no absolutely nothing about the game. We are 11 games into the season and we have lost 2 games and I accept drawn more than I would have liked. The team as been blighted by illness or injury so a consistent side that GJ would probably want hasn't been possible. We also have new players that need time to blend with the team and they are close to doing that. Those of you that think GJ won't be Manager for much longer need your heads tested or more likely need to grow up! He has a job to do and I for one believe that in the end he will do it - he is a loyal person unlike some of the City fans!

I'll give you my limited knowledge of Bristol City this season and you tell me where I am wrong:-

Eleven matches played

Only scored two in a game twice

Failed to score four times

Lack of wide players and delivery from wide areas

Too much hoofball

Sit back on a 1-0 lead

No goals from midfield

Only one goalscoring threat

Boring football from a cautious manager

But as you know everything about the game perhaps you can tell me what's what?

[Guest Red Nee Tot]

I know you are taking the p1$$ but the reason I go to Ashton Gate at the moment is out of blind loyalty and to make sure my son gets to the game. It certainly isn't to see the good football dished up by GJ's team.

When I see blokes like CYNIC getting the needle, a guy who has consistently defended our cockney gaffer on here in the face of criticism, then I know that GJ has f00ked up his job today - big time. Johnson has got a good squad of players with the exception of decent wide players - whose fault is that? And yet he cannot get these players playing good football on anything like a regular basis. Three common faults that the manager seems either unable or unwilling to rectify are lack of goals, too much hoofball or lack of width.

You are right - I was taking the p1ss. But i have to give credit where credit is due. You are a realist and a supporter most clubs would be glad of. What i am saying is that although you are dedicated to the cause you also understand some of the pitfalls and dont see it through red tinted glasses.

[Guest bigcheese]

A typical Bristol City season now would be to go away to Newcastle and beat them on saturday

yeh 4 - 0 would be good hehe??

[Slave to the rhythm]

That player who was "decent" was, and is ineffective. he's been dropped by cov, and they dont rate him. says it all.

McIndoe started for Cov against Boro today.

[Spud55]

McIndoe started for Cov against Boro today.

And he was by far and away our most productive mifielder last season, despite playing a game that is not really suited to him, i.e don't play like a winger stay narrow.

We and Gary have become obsessed with not loosing games, we are terrified of loosing games, so we take very few risks, play infinately dull football and spend a good portion of every game camped inside our own box, both home and away.

The thing that bothers and worries me the most is our apparent innability to try anything new at all. None of us (including Gary) really know how good the likes of J, Willson, Plummer, Ribiero, Jackson, Artus etc are as they have not played much (if any in many cases) competitive football, and you never truly know how good a player is until they have the chance to proove themselfs, but Johnson wont even try and will infact continue to try things which we know wont work over what may not work, but also could well work.

We know Sproule is a crock of shite, he has absolutely no redeeming features to his game, for many a year i used to think that Jermaine McSporran was the least tallented footballer i had ever seen, picked only for his pace for Wycombe in league 1, but i will honestly say that i would far rather have him in our side than Ivan Sproule, who cant shoot, can't cross, can't pass, can't beat a man (hell even footballers at the lowest level with a minute amount of pace can at least use the old poke and run, but sproule can't even execute that) He is truly the most useless pile of Garbage i have ever seen in a city Shirt. But yet we persist in bringing him on to influence a game only to find that yet again he may as well have not come on and just left us with 10 men, can anyone honestly say they et excited when Sproule gets the ball ? The end result is always the same, he either gives the ball away, puts a truly shocking cross into the side netting, lumps it out for a throw when attempting a "deep" cross, or blazes some of the most truly woeful efforts on goal at least 5 years wide or over the goal, it's frankly embarrasing that he can get in our under 12 side let alone a supposed Championship side.

There have been players that i don't rate at the club, I don't personally think Johnson is good enough for this league, but he does have a good few redeeming features, i just believe that his weaknesses far outweigh his positives, but with Sproule i can see absolutely no reason why he is a footballer, i reckon every week we could pick someone at complete random out of the crowd to come on and they would be of more use than Sproule.

Every manager makes mistakes, signs complete lemons, but the best realise they mistake and either get rid or just leave them out, Johnson stubornly soldiers on with certain players, who have had many, many chances and proven themselfs incapable, yet players who have not had anything like the repeated chances of others get bombed out pretty quick, Trundle didn't get anything like the number of chances Ivans had, Neither did Styvar, Noble, Williams (won't get a chance here) etc, etc.

We have a team full of workhorses, almost totally devoid of pure ability, flair and arrogance, which you need to get where we want to go, and most of the players with this arent going to charge around like a bunch of headless chickens for most of the game and work very hard but have about as much impact as a chocolate teapot on the pitch, every player we have with that magical ability to do absolutely nothing for 89 minutes but with the 1 that they do they win you the game have been systematically removed from the club (williams is the only one we currently have who has shown anything like the potential to do it an a semi regular basis, and he'e being slowly frozen out) Sno is the only other player who looks like he could do this.

We simply do not have the ability to to win when we play poorly, we either scrape a scarsely deserved point, or somehow like today somehow only manage to lose 1-0 when it could have been 10-0 and if we wnat to be challenging at the top of any league you have to be able to do that. When we got promoted from League 1 we could do that, we put in some truly shocking performances but still came away with a result, and thats what you need.

We have the basis of a very good side, but we need to have that bit of magic (which usually doesn't come with a high workrate) so we can turn the draws into wins. We will not go down, we are simply too bloody difficult to beat for that, but neither will we threaten anything like the top 6 because we don't win enough games, Yes we've only lost 2 games but we have only won 3 as well which isnt good enough for a top 6 place. If we can find these magical players then we have a bloody good chance, and Sno and Saborio could well turn out to be them, but the way we are playign at the moment to consistantly score goals we need a striker who is on a par with Torres, a player who will take almost every chance given to him, and when as a championship club your only hope of scoring a decent amount of goals are truly world class players then there is something wrong which needs sorting. Our strikers aren't going to score every chance they get, otherwise they wouldn't be here so we need to create enough chances for them to score a good number of goals, which we simply aren't doing at the moment and haven't been doing since we came up.

[Nibor]

I knew when I saw the selection we'd get a shit result. Why didn't GJ?

Why are we persisting with players like McCombe and LJ who are clearly not good enough?

Why did we leave four better players than both of those on the bench?

Why did we give new contracts to players like Sproule and Wilson?

Why do we have a wage bill that is now into the top half of the division but still not have a single wide player worth spit?

We have a much stronger spine, I'm glad of that, but we've not managed to sign the two wingers we needed - why?

GJ needs to stop whinging about the support and look to the unbalanced squad that HE signed, put it right and earn his fat contract.

Credit for promotion and an exceptional first season at this level is truly runnng thin now, the problems are blindingly obvious so fix them please.

[mindjuicer]

None of us (including Gary) really know how good the likes of J, Willson, Plummer, Ribiero, Jackson, Artus etc are as they have not played much (if any in many cases) competitive football

They do spend 4-5 days training, not to mention a reserve game every 2 weeks or so. Ribiero played against Carlisle.

[Guest]

I thought this Forum was worth joining but after reading these messages I realise that most of the people that write them no absolutely nothing about the game. We are 11 games into the season and we have lost 2 games and I accept drawn more than I would have liked. The team as been blighted by illness or injury so a consistent side that GJ would probably want hasn't been possible. we are not the only club with these problems

We also have new players that need time to blend with the team and they are close to doing that. the rest of the teams in this league also have new playersThose of you that think GJ won't be Manager for much longer need your heads tested or more likely need to grow up!

He has a job to do and I for one believe that in the end he will do it - he is a loyal person unlike some of the City fans! he is paid to be loyal as are the players,(by us) that is the only reason they are here

[Tunley Legend]

I knew when I saw the selection we'd get a shit result. Why didn't GJ?

Why are we persisting with players like McCombe and LJ who are clearly not good enough?

Why did we leave four better players than both of those on the bench?

Why did we give new contracts to players like Sproule and Wilson?

Why do we have a wage bill that is now into the top half of the division but still not have a single wide player worth spit?

We have a much stronger spine, I'm glad of that, but we've not managed to sign the two wingers we needed - why?

GJ needs to stop whinging about the support and look to the unbalanced squad that HE signed, put it right and earn his fat contract.

Credit for promotion and an exceptional first season at this level is truly runnng thin now, the problems are blindingly obvious so fix them please.

What annoys me is that not one single local hack has the balls to ask these questions.

[chinapig]

McCombe may not be a world beater but if you take him out of the team,any team we play who have a good header in its side is on to a winner because Fontain carey and the kid we got from derby are vulnerable from high balls in the box .

Generally Jamie disciplinary record is good its is worth remembering Scunny had 10 men on the field when they got one back.

Stop making a scape goat out of McCombe for today's defeat, when you have one shot on target & four off its the other end of the field the trouble is.

I keep repeating this I'm afraid but McCombe is not good in the air for a player his size. You will not see him rising above his man and powering the ball thirty yards up field like Shaun Taylor. He times his jumps poorly and is often on the way down before the ball arrives. Consequently if he heads the ball at all he doesn't clear it (or heads it backwards a la Scunny). Inch for inch Fontaine is much better and with good timing he often beats taller players in the air. Heading is about technique not just height. Gary's loyalty to him regardless of performance is very frustrating when we have better defenders.

[The Humble Realist]

The reason I am so critical is because the football is a crock of boring $h1t most weeks in my opinion. You obviously go to football to see a result whereas I go to see some decent football being played.

then stop coming perhaps if your not happy?

[bs11red]

then stop coming perhaps if your not happy?

Sorry but that isn't going to help. If everyone who was unhappy with the football at the moment didn't turn up we would half our crowd. Although our points total isn't disastrous at the moment, our style of football has been.