Can It Get Any Worse?

[allyolly]

I can't believe some of the posts I have read on here recently. Scapegoats have been made out of players, the manager, the assistant manager, ex managers and even Steve Lansdown. Anyone missing? The insider rumour mill is about to blow a fuse.

If we reckon we have the best chairman in the league - and I for one think we do - why can't we sit up and take notice of what he is saying? On Saturday whilst clearly not impressed with the performance and our position he said the best way forward for the club was for us to stick together. He also gave a strong indication on 5live last night that he has no intention of making any managerial change at the moment as we need stability not more change.

No of course its not great but we've got over 3/4 of the season to go, our top scorer to come back, new players that will continue to get better and are10 points of the play offs. I think SL is being realistic about where we currently find ourselves and is no doubt making very clear his expectations to KM and the rest of the coaching staff. I agree things have got to change and pretty fast too but I am happy to trust SL's judgement for the time being.

[BRISTOL XTC]

I take it that you have not been to many games this season

[allyolly]

I take it that you have not been to many games this season

Fair enough question mate - missed Watford home but been to the rest.

[Guest Parson St Station]

If you think its bad now,wait until we get dicked by Baadiff.........

[Pemburthy]

If you think its bad now,wait until we get dicked by Baadiff.........

The need for negative comment such as this is of no help. At the moment our club, our team, our players require the loyal support of the fans.

Yes mate the likes of you and me.

So permit me to correct you.

When we (the City), go to the legoland stadium we go to win and I, as any self respecting City fan believe we have the personnel, guts, determination and deep down the self belief to stuff them. The same principles of which I apply to each and every game as it comes around.

In short the only words that need come from the mouths of City fans is COME ON YOU REDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SL has the dough and comes good when needed, we put our bums on seats and use our voices to support our team at the pitch side. It's getting to be a bit one sided. Did SL really ever need to doubt us, shame on us for him having to!

[Guest Parson St Station]

The need for negative comment such as this is of no help. At the moment our club, our team, our players require the loyal support of the fans.

Yes mate the likes of you and me.

So permit me to correct you.

When we (the City), go to the legoland stadium we go to win and I, as any self respecting City fan believe we have the personnel, guts, determination and deep down the self belief to stuff them. The same principles of which I apply to each and every game as it comes around.

In short the only words that need come from the mouths of City fans is COME ON YOU REDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SL has the dough and comes good when needed, we put our bums on seats and use our voices to support our team at the pitch side. It's getting to be a bit one sided. Did SL really ever need to doubt us, shame on us for him having to!

Bloody hell mate,I love your optimism, but do you honestly think we can turn over Cardiff on their manor?

I hope we do, but either Ive been watching/reading/listening to the wrong games as I cannot see anything other than a right royal stuffing.Fair play to you but I think you might be disappointed.

[Taunton_City]

If Cardiff score early I really do fear the worse next Saturday with our confidence!!!

[eskay]

Bloody hell mate,I love your optimism, but do you honestly think we can turn over Cardiff on their manor?

I hope we do, but either Ive been watching/reading/listening to the wrong games as I cannot see anything other than a right royal stuffing.Fair play to you but I think you might be disappointed.

Why not. We have all been around football long enough to know that the rule book means nothing. The most recent evidence of that is Liverpool v Blackpool. I know some of the gloom & doom merchants will say Liverpool is in turmoil but it is still a game that the bookies would have had down for Liverpool to win.

There are countless other games recently and in the past where teams that are written off have put in a performance and got a result.

I'm with the OP on this, let's try to get some positive sentiment going no matter how hard it is. Saturday is fading into the distance, try to put it behind us (and the games before that!) and move forward. It has been a frustrating year watching City and a lot of people have had enough but if you can, get a ticket and get over the bridge and support the boys.

And can we stop booing players when they have the ball. Fair enough at half time or full time boo the team (if that is your thing), but picking out individual players is out of order.

[phantom]

Why not. We have all been around football long enough to know that the rule book means nothing. The most recent evidence of that is Liverpool v Blackpool. I know some of the gloom & doom merchants will say Liverpool is in turmoil but it is still a game that the bookies would have had down for Liverpool to win.

There are countless other games recently and in the past where teams that are written off have put in a performance and got a result.

I'm with the OP on this, let's try to get some positive sentiment going no matter how hard it is. Saturday is fading into the distance, try to put it behind us (and the games before that!) and move forward. It has been a frustrating year watching City and a lot of people have had enough but if you can, get a ticket and get over the bridge and support the boys.

And can we stop booing players when they have the ball. Fair enough at half time or full time boo the team (if that is your thing), but picking out individual players is out of order.

You are talking about individual results, many others are referring to the fact that we have still only won one league and cup match this season and yet to beat anybody at home !

Not many grass roots of optimism can be taken from many of those performances, apart from the late penalty away at Doncaster we have not been that close to winning any other games.

Look on the brightside at least we wont lose this Saturday !

[SJC]

What is the fascination, the blind faith, in the word 'stability'?

What exactly is it right now that either justifies the belief that things will improve, or warrants the current view point that stability is what this club needs?

Stability is akin to saying keep things the same, the alternative to keeping things the same is to change things. We had a terrible pre-season, have won once away at S****horpe in a game which could have gone either way, were knocked out of the club versus lower league opposition and are shipping goals like they're going out of fashion;

Why exactly are we aiming to keep stable, keep consistent, something that is so cleary failing?

I have no problem with Millen, he seems a thoroughly nice chap, and personally id give him a couple of games to prove he can get a reaction, prove that we are moving forward, but the reality is this club is failing. Talk of Maynard returning should not be a positive per se, not an event to pin our hopes or indeed our season. It will be a bonus, a massive lift, but when raised amid this tone it is done so in the hope it will compensate for more widespread flaws.

Im not necessarily one for clinging to the past, but if you want stability, consistency, dont give Gary Johnson a nudge, ship out those who were the vocal force behind his departure (of course the irony being, if talk is to be believed, two of the main protaginists left in the summer anyhow) and ask a proven manager tobuild again behind a proven ethos.

Stability is the worst possible thing this club can look to achieve right now. Remain stable, fail to change things if they do not show immediate signs of improvement, and we'll be playing in League One next season.

[Martyn Hocking]

Spot on SJC - the time to preach stability was when GJ was under pressure in January and February but some people on here thought they knew better.

Now is NOT a time for stability -something needs to change urgently. If results don't improve in the next few weeks we will be cut adrift. If Millen can make that change happen then fine - let's see him do it. If he can't, he has to go.

[mark43]

[Melksham Red]

I can't believe some of the posts I have read on here recently. Scapegoats have been made out of players, the manager, the assistant manager, ex managers and even Steve Lansdown. Anyone missing? The insider rumour mill is about to blow a fuse.

If we reckon we have the best chairman in the league - and I for one think we do - why can't we sit up and take notice of what he is saying? On Saturday whilst clearly not impressed with the performance and our position he said the best way forward for the club was for us to stick together. He also gave a strong indication on 5live last night that he has no intention of making any managerial change at the moment as we need stability not more change.

No of course its not great but we've got over 3/4 of the season to go, our top scorer to come back, new players that will continue to get better and are10 points of the play offs. I think SL is being realistic about where we currently find ourselves and is no doubt making very clear his expectations to KM and the rest of the coaching staff. I agree things have got to change and pretty fast too but I am happy to trust SL's judgement for the time being.

Nothing stable about relegation! Thats exactly where we are heading under Millen.

If you watch the matches you'll know things are really bad.

[WellRedPhil]

The need for negative comment such as this is of no help. At the moment our club, our team, our players require the loyal support of the fans.

Yes mate the likes of you and me.

So permit me to correct you.

When we (the City), go to the legoland stadium we go to win and I, as any self respecting City fan believe we have the personnel, guts, determination and deep down the self belief to stuff them. The same principles of which I apply to each and every game as it comes around.

In short the only words that need come from the mouths of City fans is COME ON YOU REDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SL has the dough and comes good when needed, we put our bums on seats and use our voices to support our team at the pitch side. It's getting to be a bit one sided. Did SL really ever need to doubt us, shame on us for him having to!

It's nothing to do with self-respect. Everyone has an opinion, it doesn't affect your support. I think Cardiff will win, probably by a couple of goals. That doesn't mean I won't be supportive on the day, I will sing and shout throughout the match and I will clap the players that come over at the end. Blind optimism and self-respect are not linked. I'm not saying we can't win, this is football, literally anything can happen. I just don't think we will, and that has nothing to do with my self-respect.

[allyolly]

What is the fascination, the blind faith, in the word 'stability'?

What exactly is it right now that either justifies the belief that things will improve, or warrants the current view point that stability is what this club needs?

Stability is akin to saying keep things the same, the alternative to keeping things the same is to change things. We had a terrible pre-season, have won once away at S****horpe in a game which could have gone either way, were knocked out of the club versus lower league opposition and are shipping goals like they're going out of fashion;

Why exactly are we aiming to keep stable, keep consistent, something that is so cleary failing?

I have no problem with Millen, he seems a thoroughly nice chap, and personally id give him a couple of games to prove he can get a reaction, prove that we are moving forward, but the reality is this club is failing. Talk of Maynard returning should not be a positive per se, not an event to pin our hopes or indeed our season. It will be a bonus, a massive lift, but when raised amid this tone it is done so in the hope it will compensate for more widespread flaws.

Im not necessarily one for clinging to the past, but if you want stability, consistency, dont give Gary Johnson a nudge, ship out those who were the vocal force behind his departure (of course the irony being, if talk is to be believed, two of the main protaginists left in the summer anyhow) and ask a proven manager tobuild again behind a proven ethos.

Stability is the worst possible thing this club can look to achieve right now. Remain stable, fail to change things if they do not show immediate signs of improvement, and we'll be playing in League One next season.

Stability based on what we know Millen can do based on his record at the end of last season is what I am getting at - was it Won 5, drawn 2, lost 1? In my opinion that is neither blind faith nor unjustified.Time will tell whether the man can motivate the current team to reproduce that form but there is no doubt we are clearly struggling to do that at the moment.

My point is that I don't think we have given Millen enough time and there is too much knee jerk reaction around which is not likely to help. We are playing catch up following SC and to make the change now would not necessarily see us in any better position.

To go back to my original point we seem happy to take Lansdown's money and appluad his speeches, why can't we stick together and support the club when he asks?

[FanaticRed]

The need for negative comment such as this is of no help. At the moment our club, our team, our players require the loyal support of the fans.

Yes mate the likes of you and me.

So permit me to correct you.

When we (the City), go to the legoland stadium we go to win and I, as any self respecting City fan believe we have the personnel, guts, determination and deep down the self belief to stuff them. The same principles of which I apply to each and every game as it comes around.

In short the only words that need come from the mouths of City fans is COME ON YOU REDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SL has the dough and comes good when needed, we put our bums on seats and use our voices to support our team at the pitch side. It's getting to be a bit one sided. Did SL really ever need to doubt us, shame on us for him having to!

Hes not being negative, hes being realistic! mabie you should try the same!

[SJC]

Stability based on what we know Millen can do based on his record at the end of last season is what I am getting at - was it Won 5, drawn 2, lost 1? In my opinion that is neither blind faith nor unjustified.Time will tell whether the man can motivate the current team to reproduce that form but there is no doubt we are clearly struggling to do that at the moment.

So you are basing your belief, 'what we know Millen can do', on a honeymoon period at the end of last season after the departure of, amongst influential playing quarters, an unpopular manager?

I dont disagree, as a caretaker manager Millen had done a fine job. However this apparent blame culture, the reasonning this is all Coppell's fault (for example), is simply dodging the issue. His brief tenor certainly didnt help matters, but how exactly Millen is void of blame while he has been an ever present is lost on me.

Millen has had enough time at the helm that it is not unreasonable to expect some sign of improvement, or at very least some sign of a gameplan. Perhaps establishing a settled defensive unit would be a start. But none of this has happened and, from what I see, we are in freefall.

My point is that I don't think we have given Millen enough time and there is too much knee jerk reaction around which is not likely to help. We are playing catch up following SC and to make the change now would not necessarily see us in any better position.

As ive said, I believe it is clear for to see that things arent working, however worse than that I see little sign of encouragement. The relative optimism I felt after Pompey away has quickly been vanquished after Saturday. However, I want to see a reaction. Be under no illusion now that Millen is one unacceptably poor result away from verging untenable. Let us see how much faith the players have in him, let us see if there are any leaders amongst the management and playing staff, because now is the time to stand up and be counted.

Whether it's fair or not, look at our fixture list, unless something dramatic happens that we've seen no reason to believe it will, Millen will almost certainly not be manager by Xmas.

To go back to my original point we seem happy to take Lansdown's money and appluad his speeches, why can't we stick together and support the club when he asks?

I, as all City fans should be, am massively indebted to Mr Lansdown for not only continuing to bank roll this club but also the vision, dedication and patience he is demonstratung in the face of various tedious obstacles.

However that does not exempt him criticism or questionning. 'Judge me on Brian' is really rather fresh in the memory, it is fortunate for him that people did not. And in the wake of two excellent appointments in Johnson and, on paper, Coppell, the same mistake has been made again, albeit with Millen being more experienced, more suited to the role than Tinnion.

Support the club yes, absolutely, of the games ive been to this season ive not once booed and ive despaired at some of the rubbish and negativity those in the stands produce. But if Mr Lansdown is asking me to refrain from giving my opinion, in the face of pretty much all available evidence, then im afraid black is black, and I refuse to pretend otherwise.

[Red-Robbo]

Well said.

I'm sure the vast majority of us here support our side on the field - clap them on, cheer them during the game and one or two of us might even venture the odd uplifting song.

But if expressing opinions about what is patently going wrong at the club is forbidden, well, we might as well all move to North Korea