K E I T H M I L L E N

[Rednready]

One thing Milly has turned around is the number of draws from last season. To todays date.

This time last season, 17 draws,

This season only 8 draws.

Points wise last season 47

Points this season 50.

The last two seasons we have finished 10th, with 63 and 61 points. To finish better we need 14 points from 8 matches. That is a reachable target with 4W 2D and 2L. The play offs based on past seasons require 70-74 and imo thats out of reach.

I've always thought Milly & Wiggles would work out, they just sound good.

Dont the top 10 teams recieve a cash bonus, anyone know how much ?

[Mr Popodopolous]

The manager physically assultingt a player at half time at Plymouth forcing two senior player to claim to have there contracts cancelled.

Oh, come off it. Not to condone the alleged events at Plymouth, but I'm pretty sure this stuff happens in dressing rooms the world over. Ferguson and the boot across the dressing room that hit Beckham. Not had the privilege of being in a football dressing room but these places seem to me from the outside to be high octane environments, not for faint hearted, lots of testosterone flying about etc. Rightly or wrongly, that is just how these places are. To expect much else is a touch naive IMO.

http://www.sabotaget...-dressing-room/

One very relevant section from the piece:

I saw one manager actually holding a player up by the scruff of his shirt – the kid was in tears. One time, I saw a manager go face to face and nose to nose with this great big player who he thought wasn’t putting his life on the line for the team.

[Mr Popodopolous]

As for Mllen, credit where it's due he seems to be turning it round. Personally I've been unsure about him so far, reserved judgement for the most part. One thing I have noticed, under him our sequences results seem to be feast or famine- 6 pts from 10 followed by 20 from 9, followed by 9 from 12 and now 15 from 6...No middle ground.

[grove park city]

This is Keith Millen manager not Gary Johnson no complaints after a car-crash start to the season plus team and a mass of off field problems more than happy with our position, had some terrible performances to watch Sheff Wednesday was a lower than low point plus Millwall Boro ect........... Swansea City H and Norwich City away we were beaten by better teams...................... Credit to Keith Millen the Burnley match was my most enjoyable of the season both sides going for a win playing football....

[arpaul]

Its understandably taken Millen time to get from 'very poor to acceptable' but 5 wins from 6 games tells its own story. 15 points from18 is promotion form and its disapointing that City didn't find that form 15 games ago but as you say Millen is moving the right direction. He'll have a chance to have a major player clear out over the summer and bring in the much needed creativity and if he manages to do that then next season will see City in serious contention.

Five wins from six is a good return agreed. But the fixture list has been kind to us. Two of the victoies were against sides who were, at the time on a dreadful run of form(Watford and Coventry) I stand to be corrected but I think Watford were 8 without a win, and Coventry 10? No doubt some bright spark will confirm otherwise. S****horpe, also, I believe, have lost the last 8 away games.

However Portsmouth and Burnley, were two decent performances, and vastly improved on the dross witnessed at Ashton Gate this season.

I'm in neither the pro or anti Millen camp.

However, I do have a concern about his ability to take us forward.

Unless there are a number of players out of contract at the end of this season, I can't see there being a major clear out. Who will want any of our dead wood? And who will pay the sort of wages that enticed Nicky Hunt to give up playing, for a career sitting in the stand?

Yes we will lose Sproule for one..

But Robbored, you stated here previously that Woolford is/was Millens first signing.

Is he any better than Sproule?

Maybe these questions are best left until seasons end, and for now, anyway, let us rejoice in the knoweldge that we have broken the magical 50 point barrier.

[Robbored]

Five wins from six is a good return agreed. But the fixture list has been kind to us. Two of the victoies were against sides who were, at the time on a dreadful run of form(Watford and Coventry) I stand to be corrected but I think Watford were 8 without a win, and Coventry 10? No doubt some bright spark will confirm otherwise. S****horpe, also, I believe, have lost the last 8 away games.

However Portsmouth and Burnley, were two decent performances, and vastly improved on the dross witnessed at Ashton Gate this season.

I'm in neither the pro or anti Millen camp.

However, I do have a concern about his ability to take us forward.

Unless there are a number of players out of contract at the end of this season, I can't see there being a major clear out. Who will want any of our dead wood? And who will pay the sort of wages that enticed Nicky Hunt to give up playing, for a career sitting in the stand?

Yes we will lose Sproule for one..

But Robbored, you stated here previously that Woolford is/was Millens first signing.

Is he any better than Sproule?

Maybe these questions are best left until seasons end, and for now, anyway, let us rejoice in the knoweldge that we have broken the magical 50 point barrier.

Thats a daft statement. You could easliy say that Watford, Milwall and Boro all played City at AG during a poor run of form of our own. Its what happens over 46 games that matters at the end of the season.

You state that you are neither pro or anti Millen but then you doubt he can take us further........thats anti in most people's view.

Sproule has been at City for several seasons and we've all seen enough of what he can and can't do. Woolford has been at City just a few games and although he hasn't been spectacular, new players often take time to settle in and to show their best form. We've seen that with both Cisse and Stewart this season. Woolford scored quite a number of goals for a struggling Scunny side so he can be complete crap.

[REDOXO]

Well done Keith Millen.

We are on a good run, our forwards look like scoring and the return of Maynard has added beleif within the team and goals. Cissee has also been great and is showing why Mr. Coppell (knob) paid the money he did!

Good Luck for the last eight games! (The fat lady has chosen her music and is warming up, but has not sung yet!)

COYR

[Donald]

Doing Good Job, as I've said in a number of other threads,

Happy with how we have developed this season and improved as it's gone, much happier with the football on display this season compared to previous two, as I've said on a number of occasions to much personal abuse, I have found this season much more entertaining.

Full of optimisim for the coming season, if we can get at least another 12 months on Maynard's contract and not lose any key players, top 6 is more than achievable next season.

[Bar BS3]

I totally agree with the general concensus that Millen deserves credit for turning what could have been a sinking ship around and i am looking at next certain with a certain optimism, albeit a catious one!

The point that seems to have been missed in all of this thread is the almost unbelievable host of long term injuies that he has had to contend with throughout the entire season!

our back 4, though no fault of Millen's has been increadibly disrupted. Our forward line, with Vokes (a coppell signing, but situation the Millen quickly got lumbered with) out after 5 mins of his debut. Obviously Maynard being out for majority of the season and also, i think many have forgotton just how big a part of the team Stead was before h picked up a long term problem.

I have been impressed with his calmness in dealing with this and eventually finding a system that works, whilst many others, especially on here were loosing their heads and panicing.

Also, i think his signings bode well for the future and hopefully Steve Lansdown will view a shopping list from Millen as opposed to past managers and being better more considered value for investment than the previous open chequebook policy of recent years. That is why i believe the he will continue to fund new players, because they will be investments, rather than panic/profile signings.

Overall, well done Keith & Wigley and here's to next season - without misguided promotion talk, but a steady progression which could lead to longer term success. Here's hoping!

[arpaul]

Thats a daft statement. You could easliy say that Watford, Milwall and Boro all played City at AG during a poor run of form of our own. Its what happens over 46 games that matters at the end of the season.

Millwall visited us on the opening day. There was no relevent form guide! Yes you are right that it's a 46 game season, but the point I was trying to make was that we were fortunate to play Watford and Coventry when we did, because their form and confidence was questionable.....as was ours. It's luck/fortune like this that sometimes turns a season.

You state that you are neither pro or anti Millen but then you doubt he can take us further........thats anti in most people's view.

Wrong. Having doubts doesn't make me an "Anti Millen" man!

It's like a City fan I know driving a mini bus full of Rovers fans to Wembley. Does that make him a Rovers fan?

Sproule has been at City for several seasons and we've all seen enough of what he can and can't do. Woolford has been at City just a few games and although he hasn't been spectacular, new players often take time to settle in and to show their best form. We've seen that with both Cisse and Stewart this season. Woolford scored quite a number of goals for a struggling Scunny side so he can be complete crap.

Let's hope he's not.

[redlandrebel]

If we had won once after Johnson's departure last season, with nine attempts available, we wouldnt have been relegated.

Yes we went on a fine run, and yes of course Millen deserves credit for overseeing that. The fact that, it would appear, Johnson had lost the dressing room and thus his departure was most likely greeted with muted pleasure and unity played it's part to, but Millen took to the helm and we performed well under him.

This season we have been, for the most part, for the want of a better word, shit. We've had two spells, the first of which stretched Reading to Derby - nine games, six wins, and the current run which has seen us win five in six starting away at Watford which have been excellent and ensured our status in the league.

We are ten points off the play-offs and fifteen points from relegation, pretty much middle of the road. With a new man at the helm that should be considered consolidatory and thus satisfactory.

The most recent run has seen our season go from very poor to acceptable and whilst Millen, Wigley and the team deserve credit for the resurgence, we should not blindly ignore the fact that for large parts of the season we have been unacceptably bad.

While some people like to moan for no reason while others bring their agenda to extract all things positive, the reality is that the management team have deserved questionning and criticism for large parts of this season. As we currently stand they deserve praise, they are getting it, and so they should. But let's not go over the top and suggest everything is, and has been, rosy. We are moving in the right direction, there is no greater positive exaggeration to be held.

Succinctly put indeed.

[glastonred]

Has anyone else noticed that this season we've only had two 0-0s (Burnley & Palace away). Is this the least ever? At least we're almost guaranteed goals in a game, even though they're not always ours!