Consolidation

[Redrobbin]

Now we are nearly ten games in to lets all agree, on not the start of the season we had hoped for.

I'm wondering what our fanbsse now expect from this season. I know in pre season there was much optimism with a few seeing automatic promotion a real possibility.

Others saying mid table and a push for the play offs achievable. I myself would have thought mid table very much a benchmark that is still a reachable.

Consolidation is now the key word, what we can not do is go down again, a concept that some are already consoled to unbelievably.

As SOD has said time and time again we are in transition it will take time .We need to give him this time.

All these posts reading SOD out are quite simply ridiculous. How are we going to build a squad with managers being shown the door every season!

Come on the SOD out brigade have a good long think will you!!!

[CheddarReds]

At the start of the season I said that 10th would be a very good, I still believe that it would be a good achievement this season. However after 9 games I didn't expect us to be where we our now, I didn't expeect Sheffield Utd to be bottom, Coventry to be above us and 2 others or Leyton Orient to be top after winning 8 of 9. Yes the start we've had is so so dissapointing and I would've hoped for better but we are only 9 games in and there is a lot of time for us to turn it around. Those calling for SO'D's head we can't keep changing manager every 5 minutes and I believe it's worth giving him the time.

[Robbored]

It seems that there are two types of City fan at the moment.

One type react to each result as if it's the be all and end all of their City experience. The second type are thosep who are just as disappointed when results don't come but are able to appreciate that transition takes much longer than 9 games.

The first type blame and criticise the manager if every way, his interviews, his demeanor in the dugout and his team selections. They point to his record at City and want him sacked despite the fact that history shows that chopping and changing managers is a disaster recipe.

The other type can see what the manager is trying to achieve and can see definite signs of improvement as the games go by. They realise that the transition is a work in progress and most of them understand ODriscolls message despite his sniffing and brummie accent.

Im in the second category.

[Fiale]

We will be fine.. Midtable obscurity seems our likely destiny for this season.

We have played some good football at times (as well as some poor stuff) and overall look a lot more capable than we have over the last two seasons.

Individual errors have cost us a hell of a lot points so far this season.. We can only hope that we have got them out of our system and are due some opposition clangers throughout the season based on probability..

If we keep playing as we have it will click in place, the understanding will grow and we will have team to be proud of.. In the meantime we will at times make it look tough and laboured, but it will be worth it for when we finally get it right..

[AshtonGreat]

Now we are nearly ten games in to lets all agree, on not the start of the season we had hoped for.

I'm wondering what our fanbsse now expect from this season. I know in pre season there was much optimism with a few seeing automatic promotion a real possibility.

Others saying mid table and a push for the play offs achievable. I myself would have thought mid table very much a benchmark that is still a reachable.

Consolidation is now the key word, what we can not do is go down again, a concept that some are already consoled to unbelievably.

As SOD has said time and time again we are in transition it will take time .We need to give him this time.

All these posts reading SOD out are quite simply ridiculous. How are we going to build a squad with managers being shown the door every season!

Come on the SOD out brigade have a good long think will you!!!

Well, they've had six months...since the last league win in fact

[Guest]

Consolidate where though, bottom 6, bottom 3, third div ?

The old "transition" word again where are we transiting from, too? its a word to describe his utter failure and our decline i.m.o.

Training camp abroad, pre-season, training many times a week how long does SOd and our players need. We are talking pro-footballers here, many with a lot of exp in this league and above.

Transition, time to gel, support, time, some mistakes, poor decisions, luck, etc,etc are all words used when your team aren't very good and bottom line is we aint.

[redsquirrel]

i keep getting negative thoughts every saturday and sunday but they usually pass when i think,hell,we didnt lose.if we do that consistently too then yes,it will be hard to see any light but we are there or thereabouts.

most teams have 2 or 3 new signings to fit in and 'gel' but we have a whole new system nearly bar baldock and he didnt feature regular last season. say it takes a new bloke 5 games to settle in,must take a whole lot longer for 8 or 9 to work out where to be for who ever passes the ball next

[Red-Robbo]

It seems that there are two types of City fan at the moment.

One type react to each result as if it's the be all and end all of their City experience. The second type are thosep who are just as disappointed when results don't come but are able to appreciate that transition takes much longer than 9 games.

The first type blame and criticise the manager if every way, his interviews, his demeanor in the dugout and his team selections. They point to his record at City and want him sacked despite the fact that history shows that chopping and changing managers is a disaster recipe.

The other type can see what the manager is trying to achieve and can see definite signs of improvement as the games go by. They realise that the transition is a work in progress and most of them understand ODriscolls message despite his sniffing and brummie accent.

Im in the second category.

He has a Black Country, rather than a Brummie accent.

That's the only bit of your inaccurate post I can be bothered to correct.

[Cider red]

We will be fine.. Midtable obscurity seems our likely destiny for this season.

We have played some good football at times (as well as some poor stuff) and overall look a lot more capable than we have over the last two seasons.

Individual errors have cost us a hell of a lot points so far this season.. We can only hope that we have got them out of our system and are due some opposition clangers throughout the season based on probability..

If we keep playing as we have it will click in place, the understanding will grow and we will have team to be proud of.. In the meantime we will at times make it look tough and laboured, but it will be worth it for when we finally get it right..

Completely agree. On reflection the deflated feeling after saturday has gone, i think if we keep playing as we are the points will come. You just have to look at the stats to see we really battered colchester, but again another poor bit of defending (maybe good attacking from there pov) has let us down. Odriscoll talks a lot about second phase from corners, but week after week we seem to be conceding goals from them! I dont know if the players are being told to block crosses, but we are letting the ball come into our box far to easily and conceding soft goals from it. Something you see the succesfull teams in this division doing. We just need to sort out these small issues and we will push up the table, how far though i dont know, but im sure we wont be anywhere near the relegation places come may.

[dezgimed]

It seems that there are two types of City fan at the moment.

One type react to each result as if it's the be all and end all of their City experience. The second type are thosep who are just as disappointed when results don't come but are able to appreciate that transition takes much longer than 9 games.

The first type blame and criticise the manager if every way, his interviews, his demeanor in the dugout and his team selections. They point to his record at City and want him sacked despite the fact that history shows that chopping and changing managers is a disaster recipe.

The other type can see what the manager is trying to achieve and can see definite signs of improvement as the games go by. They realise that the transition is a work in progress and most of them understand ODriscolls message despite his sniffing and brummie accent.

Im in the second category.

There is a 3rd category, which you also fall into, its called talking bollocks on a regular basis, making rubbish up to make yourself sound like a superior fan.

See above for further detail.

[cockneydave]

Its a funny old game and I still expect to get in the top 6.When we do get a win I would expect to go on a good run and romp up the table.I shall also be putting my money on them.Forever the optimist

[Robbored]

There is a 3rd category, which you also fall into, its called talking bollocks on a regular basis, making rubbish up to make yourself sound like a superior fan.

See above for further detail.

Have you not heard fans saying that ODriscoll should go? I've heard comments to that effect many times around AG in recent games.

[dezgimed]

Have you not heard fans saying that ODriscoll should go? I've heard comments to that effect many times around AG in recent games.

No, only that they are sick of his BS during interviews etc.

Only a very small minority have said he should be sacked?

[Ian M]

No, only that they are sick of his BS during interviews etc.

Only a very small minority have said he should be sacked?

But they exist, see this forum for details. I don't believe Robbored put a number on it.

It just so happens that they are pretty vocal, as is often the case with angry people.

I think a far greater silent majority exists who are somewhere between Robbored's two extremes. A majority who have varying concerns of our current situation, who accept what SOD is trying to do but whose anxiety is increasing with each game that we go without getting a win.

I'd put myself (& you for that matter Dez) in that group.

[Aizoon]

But they exist, see this forum for details. I don't believe Robbored put a number on it.

It just so happens that they are pretty vocal, as is often the case with angry people.

I think a far greater silent majority exists who are somewhere between Robbored's two extremes. A majority who have varying concerns of our current situation, who accept what SOD is trying to do but whose anxiety is increasing with each game that we go without getting a win.

I'd put myself (& you for that matter Dez) in that group.

Me too.

[glynriley]

Me too.

Not so silent though Aiz!!!!

[dezgimed]

But they exist, see this forum for details. I don't believe Robbored put a number on it.

It just so happens that they are pretty vocal, as is often the case with angry people.

I think a far greater silent majority exists who are somewhere between Robbored's two extremes. A majority who have varying concerns of our current situation, who accept what SOD is trying to do but whose anxiety is increasing with each game that we go without getting a win.

I'd put myself (& you for that matter Dez) in that group.

Fair shout.

[The Casual Connoisseur]

I'm a 1.5, I can see what he's doing, signs that it's working aren't greatly apparent, but they are there.

I thought with what we had on paper that we'd be top 10, I think now I'd be happy with staying in the division, an aspiration that leaves me flat as in football nothing is guaranteed and results count for a lot.

Just a thought, if we hadn't have had JETS's goals and assists we'd been be superglued to the bottom of the league, I hope SOD's plan has legislated for a January bid for him and our plan b, can't see him wanting to be around next season and despite looking lazy he's been the difference between us being bottom and 19th, before anyone says anything.

[Major Isewater]

I'm a 1.5, I can see what he's doing, signs that it's working aren't greatly apparent, but they are there.

I thought with what we had on paper that we'd be top 10, I think now I'd be happy with staying in the division, an aspiration that leaves me flat as in football nothing is guaranteed and results count for a lot.

Just a thought, if we hadn't have had JETS's goals and assists we'd been be superglued to the bottom of the league, I hope SOD's plan has legislated for a January bid for him and our plan b, can't see him wanting to be around next season and despite looking lazy he's been the difference between us being bottom and 19th, before anyone says anything.

If we had n't had Jet's input perhaps we may have won more. Just saying that with out Jet we may have had a

Baldock/Harewood pairing knocking thèm in for fun and a.n.other securing the defence.

"Ifs and Ands "

[Orbital]

The future that the current regime is shaping could paradoxically be of equal concern to our current plight. While we are going through a painfully slow rebuild, in time progress may well be made. However, call me fickle, but with a family on the way I won't be renewing my ticket if the current dirge becomes the norm for the next two or three years till we can mount a serious promotion charge. If there are others out there who, while respecting the need for continuity and transition, run out of patience with the pace of change, there could be a lot more empty seats next year.

It would be wrong to hope O'Driscoll is sacked currently, but there is something to be said for passion. It is neither coming from the players or the management at the moment and it is leaving the club increasingly flat.

[The Casual Connoisseur]

If we had n't had Jet's input perhaps we may have won more. Just saying that with out Jet we may have had a

Baldock/Harewood pairing knocking thèm in for fun and a.n.other securing the defence.

"Ifs and Ands "

No, the facts say that without his goals we'd be bottom, it really is that simple.

Of course I completely understand what you are saying, but my comment was a fact, not ifs and buts and what not.

[Ian M]

No, the facts say that without his goals we'd be bottom, it really is that simple.

Of course I completely understand what you are saying, but my comment was a fact, not ifs and buts and what not.

Good job he did score them then

[Aizoon]

In other words IF he hadn't scored them we would be bottom.

Ifs, buts and maybes.

No maybe about it. Simple mathematical fact. Not a FACT!, mind.