Manning speak

[redsquirrel]

3 minutes ago, Simon bristol said:

I don’t believe he has sufficient power to influence the lansdowns either way, and if he didnt carry out their plan, he would have been gone next. I also believe pearson knew he wouldnt be getting a new contract, and starting making noises in the press that may hasten his departure with his contract paid in full. Tinnions role in that i dont think was particularly significant, but the recruitment of manning he will have probably been told to carry out interviews etc, clearly the club knew who he was before pearson went.

i dont see you quoting any known sources that tinnion shafted pearson apart from heresay and conjecture from people on here who dont like how it was done. I dont think it was done correctly either, but if the major decisions over the last 20 odd years have been lansdowns, all apart from this one which is tinnions, i cant believe anyone seriously believes that.

i dont think anyone could influence the lansdowns either frightening to think that they actually thought along the same lines as MA though isnt it and backed him 100%.  suck up to them and get big rewards

 

[Jimbo76]

I'm genuinely starting to think that the majority of posters on here would rather we play badly so they can carry on their obsession with criticising Manning rather than he actually turns things around.

It's getting ridiculous. Yes, his press conferences are a bit monotone. So what, I couldn't care less. 

It all seems to get so personal. He's clearly passionate, hard working and hungry for success.

The contents of this forum will filter through to him and the team, directly or indirectly. What do you think this constant negativity will achieve, other than drag down morale within the team?

If Manning does get success, which I appreciate most have already dismissed, do you think he'll be sticking around for long after this unjustified campaign of personal abuse?

Wish there was a happy clapper forum in existence. Potentially misjudged optimism seems preferable to this obsession with negativity and abuse.

He must have known having to follow Pearson would bring challenges but I bet he never thought it would still be going on.

[RedLionLad]

2 minutes ago, Jimbo76 said:

I'm genuinely starting to think that the majority of posters on here would rather we play badly so they can carry on their obsession with criticising Manning rather than he actually turns things around.

It's getting ridiculous. Yes, his press conferences are a bit monotone. So what, I couldn't care less. 

It all seems to get so personal. He's clearly passionate, hard working and hungry for success.

The contents of this forum will filter through to him and the team, directly or indirectly. What do you think this constant negativity will achieve, other than drag down morale within the team?

If Manning does get success, which I appreciate most have already dismissed, do you think he'll be sticking around for long after this unjustified campaign of personal abuse?

Wish there was a happy clapper forum in existence. Potentially misjudged optimism seems preferable to this obsession with negativity and abuse.

He must have known having to follow Pearson would bring challenges but I bet he never thought it would still be going on.

Did you know we beat Southampton?

[Silvio Dante]

Just now, RedLionLad said:

Did you know we beat Southampton?

WHY HAS NOBODY MENTIONED THIS BEFORE!!!

[GrahamC]

4 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Can be both!

Nah, brought in to do a proper, grown-up CEO job, increase commercial opportunities, etc, only to find the owner’s son (playing at being Chairman) does what he wants, doesn’t follow due process, undermines the CEO by doing shit commercial deals, etc.  Calls that out to owner, told to leave.  I’m sure his support of Nige didn’t help!

Nige played along for a while, going with the “budget bollox” storyline for a while. Then his ally in the hierarchy got removed (Alexander) in September.  They called Nige in on the Sunday after the Leeds defeat (Oct 7th) and “asked” him to walk.  You may recall rumours of an emergency board meeting circulating on that Sunday.  Nige said “if you want to sack me, I’m not dressing it up as mutual decision, you will have to say you’ve sacked me”.  Surprised by Nige they bottled it, but Nige knew he was on borrowed time, he knew his staff were on borrowed time too.

Cue Nige getting more pointed in press conferences, e.g. why do you keep asking me, go and find someone else to get your answers from.

I do agree that most of this will have come from JL / SL not being “man-enough” to take criticism, but they will undoubtedly have sought Tins “advice” about how they could package up their execution of his eventual sacking (and who they’d look to replace him with).  He most certainly didn’t defend Nige, or else he wouldn’t be here now.

So they let the international break run and waited for a defeat to hide behind.

Shit, the old bastard beat Coventry, can’t sack him after a win.

Ah that’s better, defeat to Ipswich, but can’t sack him this close to a Derby with Cardiff.

I recall talking to @headhunter after this game and he asked whether Nige would make it to Xmas, I replied I didn’t think he’d make it past the weekend!

Ah, perfect, lose to Cardiff, now’s the time, players close to coming back from injury, Wednesday and QPR coming up, new boy will get an easy start.

Sacked in the morning, you’re getting sacked in the morning - and so he was.  Euell and Rennie with him, Fleming to hold the fort as they couldn’t get new boy in quickly enough.  

Cue a plethora of very poor interviews summing up their ineptitude and pettiness.  All complicit.

The comment from Jon about players and “deconditioned” is one of the shittiest things I’ve ever heard in football, and I’m not exaggerating.  And people on here wonder why he gets stick.

I’ve no idea if Manning was first choice.  There were rumours of both Mousinho and Eustace, so maybe they were asked but turned it down?  But they took a week to appoint Manning, when they already had their plan in place after Leeds, so my gut feel (and that’s all it is) was that they got turned down!

Nothing about being sacked was a relief to Nigel, he wanted to stay at the club and deliver what he set out to do, and was doing.  He, along with the fanbase, thought he was really on the right tracks.

 

Great post.

I’ll just add my understanding is that we did approach Mousinho & he wasn’t remotely interested.

Eustace wasn’t on our shortlist.

[Red-Robbo]

3 minutes ago, Jimbo76 said:

I'm genuinely starting to think that the majority of posters on here would rather we play badly so they can carry on their obsession with criticising Manning rather than he actually turns things around.

It's getting ridiculous. Yes, his press conferences are a bit monotone. So what, I couldn't care less. 

It all seems to get so personal. He's clearly passionate, hard working and hungry for success.

The contents of this forum will filter through to him and the team, directly or indirectly. What do you think this constant negativity will achieve, other than drag down morale within the team?

If Manning does get success, which I appreciate most have already dismissed, do you think he'll be sticking around for long after this unjustified campaign of personal abuse?

Wish there was a happy clapper forum in existence. Potentially misjudged optimism seems preferable to this obsession with negativity and abuse.

He must have known having to follow Pearson would bring challenges but I bet he never thought it would still be going on.

 

I hate to break it to everyone, but 90% of football managers* speak in cliches - even the revered St Nigel of Nottingham used them - and many of them may not deliver routine press conferences in a very interesting tone. They are paid, after all, to be able to get a team of players to play entertaining and successful football, not to be fascinating after-dinner speakers. 

This is the only place I'll attack Manning on - his management record here. Not on how interesting he sounds in interviews.

 

 

* You can extend that to 90% of all sportsmen really. 

[Street red]

3 minutes ago, Jimbo76 said:

I'm genuinely starting to think that the majority of posters on here would rather we play badly so they can carry on their obsession with criticising Manning rather than he actually turns things around.

It's getting ridiculous. Yes, his press conferences are a bit monotone. So what, I couldn't care less. 

It all seems to get so personal. He's clearly passionate, hard working and hungry for success.

The contents of this forum will filter through to him and the team, directly or indirectly. What do you think this constant negativity will achieve, other than drag down morale within the team?

If Manning does get success, which I appreciate most have already dismissed, do you think he'll be sticking around for long after this unjustified campaign of personal abuse?

Wish there was a happy clapper forum in existence. Potentially misjudged optimism seems preferable to this obsession with negativity and abuse.

He must have known having to follow Pearson would bring challenges but I bet he never thought it would still be going on.

It's not just manning is it the entire club is a joke you have the Lansdowns (Steve) interfering you have tinnion back stabbing and you have manning talking out his rear also John Lansdown thats does the genie act and disappears. No wonder Alexander walked away.No more backing from me for this incompetent lot. 

[Davefevs]

2 minutes ago, Jimbo76 said:

I'm genuinely starting to think that the majority of posters on here would rather we play badly so they can carry on their obsession with criticising Manning rather than he actually turns things around.

It's getting ridiculous. Yes, his press conferences are a bit monotone. So what, I couldn't care less. 

It all seems to get so personal. He's clearly passionate, hard working and hungry for success.

The contents of this forum will filter through to him and the team, directly or indirectly. What do you think this constant negativity will achieve, other than drag down morale within the team?

If Manning does get success, which I appreciate most have already dismissed, do you think he'll be sticking around for long after this unjustified campaign of personal abuse?

Wish there was a happy clapper forum in existence. Potentially misjudged optimism seems preferable to this obsession with negativity and abuse.

He must have known having to follow Pearson would bring challenges but I bet he never thought it would still be going on.

No, Jimbo, his interviews are just a reflection / a sideshow in many ways of what we are seeing on the pitch.  And that is why he is getting critiqued.

You’re mistaking being passionate, hard working and hungry for success for competence.  Some of us think passion, hard-work and hunger isn’t enough to be a success here, assuming he even does have those three capabilities.

By all means be optimistic, but don’t come out with crap like “we want City to play badly”.  That’s just a “I’ve not got an argument here” stuff.

 

 

[Silvio Dante]

4 minutes ago, Jimbo76 said:

He must have known having to follow Pearson would bring challenges but I bet he never thought it would still be going on.

I think this spectacularly misses the point. The criticism of Liam is not because he’s not Nigel Pearson (myself and @Davefevs were talking the other day about when you can actually bring up the relative performance as it gets jumped on if you do) - it’s because the performances have progressively been getting worse, and the media work is now coming into scrutiny because what he’s saying is not reflected in the performances on the pitch and is frequently contradictory.

The reason it’s “still going on” is because he’s not performing - and that’s not the fault of this forum or the fans in the ground. He’s not helped by those above him, but if he’d even delivered a minor improvement in consistent performance or results then he wouldn’t be under this scrutiny.

[Nogbad the Bad]

59 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Exactly - people like to lump Johnson and Manning together regarding interviews, but stylistically I think they were actually very different. 

Different they may be but both utterly intolerable in their own way nonetheless.

[exAtyeoMax]

COYRs 

 

Edited March 16 by exAtyeoMax

[DaveF]

12 hours ago, JammyOne said:

I don't really know what people expect him to say... Maybe it's just better for everyone if LM doesn't do interviews until he gets us back to a respectable form or when he's relieved from the job.

I think people would just prefer it if he didn't speak utter bollocks...

[TDarwall]

1 minute ago, Silvio Dante said:

  and the media work is now coming into scrutiny because what he’s saying is not reflected in the performances on the pitch and is frequently contradictory.

 

Agree with lots but not this bit. The media work is under scrutiny because of the results. Monotone, duplicitous, robotic etc would all be fine if we were winning all the time.

I reckon I've been reading the forum 20ish years & struggle to recall many positive threads about the managers pre/post match press interviews when the team is doing badly.

[Simon bristol]

14 minutes ago, redsquirrel said:

i dont think anyone could influence the lansdowns either frightening to think that they actually thought along the same lines as MA though isnt it and backed him 100%.  suck up to them and get big rewards

 

Yes, and look at ashton now,, its sickening but no one can say the impact hes had at ipswich hasnt been huge,,, perhaps that could have been the case here, but our owners arent as clear at what they want as theirs?

[Nogbad the Bad]

3 minutes ago, TDarwall said:

Agree with lots but not this bit. The media work is under scrutiny because of the results. Monotone, duplicitous, robotic etc would all be fine if we were winning all the time.

I reckon I've been reading the forum 20ish years & struggle to recall many positive threads about the managers pre/post match press interviews when the team is doing badly.

Not sure we had these extensive interviews 20 years ago, it's more of a recent thing?

It suits interesting characters like NP, I was more than happy to listen to his 30 minute press conferences and very often they went in a flash.

LM's are a complete turn off because he's not engaging and doesn't appear to have anything interesting to say so even though his interviews are much shorter than Nige's it's extremely hard to maintain concentration or interest.

Or, increasingly, bother with them at all.

[mozo]

20 minutes ago, Jimbo76 said:

I'm genuinely starting to think that the majority of posters on here would rather we play badly so they can carry on their obsession with criticising Manning rather than he actually turns things around.

It's getting ridiculous. Yes, his press conferences are a bit monotone. So what, I couldn't care less. 

It all seems to get so personal. He's clearly passionate, hard working and hungry for success.

The contents of this forum will filter through to him and the team, directly or indirectly. What do you think this constant negativity will achieve, other than drag down morale within the team?

If Manning does get success, which I appreciate most have already dismissed, do you think he'll be sticking around for long after this unjustified campaign of personal abuse?

Wish there was a happy clapper forum in existence. Potentially misjudged optimism seems preferable to this obsession with negativity and abuse.

He must have known having to follow Pearson would bring challenges but I bet he never thought it would still be going on.

I wouldn't go as far as your first sentence, but the level of negativity on here across the board is quite extreme for a manager who is only marginally underperforming. If we were getting hammered every week I'd understand. 

I totally defend the right for people to criticise Manning though, that's their prerogative. Some of it is a bit childish, but hey this is OTIB; not the place to come for sanity!

11 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

No, Jimbo, his interviews are just a reflection / a sideshow in many ways of what we are seeing on the pitch.  And that is why he is getting critiqued.

You’re mistaking being passionate, hard working and hungry for success for competence.  Some of us think passion, hard-work and hunger isn’t enough to be a success here, assuming he even does have those three capabilities.

By all means be optimistic, but don’t come out with crap like “we want City to play badly”.  That’s just a “I’ve not got an argument here” stuff.

 

 

Passion, hard work and hunger are three big ticks and not to be sniffed at. Competency is another very important tick box, and for me the jury's undecided, whereas other people have jumped to a quicker conclusion (some more politely than others, which I think has irritated Jimbo in this case.)

[Silvio Dante]

21 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I’ve no idea if Manning was first choice.  There were rumours of both Mousinho and Eustace, so maybe they were asked but turned it down?  But they took a week to appoint Manning, when they already had their plan in place after Leeds, so my gut feel (and that’s all it is) was that they got turned down!

 

 

15 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Great post.

I’ll just add my understanding is that we did approach Mousinho & he wasn’t remotely interested.

Eustace wasn’t on our shortlist.

I remember saying at the time of Pearson being sacked that it appeared we didn’t have a plan - the chaotic nature of the interviews/comms indicated that and there wasn’t an immediate “king over the water” which you’d expect as they had got time to plan.

The most likely scenario is that Manning was on a long list of potential future head coaches on the basis of being the right age and having an academy background. However he probably wasn’t top of that list, as the Mousinho approach indicates. In the chaotic period post Pearson sacking we just went for a coach who at face value looked right without (broken record alert) doing proper due diligence on what we were actually getting.

And to be clear, that footballing due diligence would have been totally at Tinnions door. Irrespective of whether people want to defend him for other things, that’s the one thing that undoubtedly would have been down to him.

[mozo]

1 minute ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

Not sure we had these extensive interviews 20 years ago, it's more of a recent thing?

It suits interesting characters like NP, I was more than happy to listen to his 30 minute press conferences and very often they went in a flash.

LM's are a complete turn off because he's not engaging and doesn't appear to have anything interesting to say so even though his interviews are much shorter than Nige's it's extremely hard to maintain concentration or interest.

Or, increasingly, bother with them at all.

I don't think ore-match interviews are supposed to be entertaining anyway. We just need to know about injuries and the rest is for the journos to write their standard preview.

[Silvio Dante]

3 minutes ago, mozo said:

I don't think ore-match interviews are supposed to be entertaining anyway. We just need to know about injuries and the rest is for the journos to write their standard preview.

As I’ve said a few times the bit I really don’t get is why Liam steadfastly refuses to put someone else up for them. Hes not great at them and sometimes a different voice really helps. LJ put Jamie Mac up at times, Nige put Curtis - I’m not sure what there is to lose by putting “Hoggy” up for one.

[Davefevs]

23 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

I think this spectacularly misses the point. The criticism of Liam is not because he’s not Nigel Pearson (myself and @Davefevs were talking the other day about when you can actually bring up the relative performance as it gets jumped on if you do) - it’s because the performances have progressively been getting worse, and the media work is now coming into scrutiny because what he’s saying is not reflected in the performances on the pitch and is frequently contradictory.

The reason it’s “still going on” is because he’s not performing - and that’s not the fault of this forum or the fans in the ground. He’s not helped by those above him, but if he’d even delivered a minor improvement in consistent performance or results then he wouldn’t be under this scrutiny.

That’s it in a nutshell for me re critiquing his interviews.

For those in banking - words and figures differ

For those not in banking - collars and cuffs don’t match

And it’s not just about matching, it’s actually starting to get contradictory to what he has said in the past.  That worries me a bit

17 minutes ago, Simon bristol said:

Yes, and look at ashton now,, its sickening but no one can say the impact hes had at ipswich hasnt been huge,,, perhaps that could have been the case here, but our owners arent as clear at what they want as theirs?

Someone went to sleep on the job (JL) and someone took advantage (MA) of that.  I’d rather not have that type of character back here.

I’ve always said he’s a good football “administrator”, and that is mainly what he is being forced to do at Ipswich.  He lets his ego get ahead of him sometimes (running on the pitch, etc), but generally he isn’t interfering with things that aren’t his skillset.

8 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

Not sure we had these extensive interviews 20 years ago, it's more of a recent thing?

It suits interesting characters like NP, I was more than happy to listen to his 30 minute press conferences and very often they went in a flash.

LM's are a complete turn off because he's not engaging and doesn't appear to have anything interesting to say so even though his interviews are much shorter than Nige's it's extremely hard to maintain concentration or interest.

Or, increasingly, bother with them at all.

Yes, the 2 min soundbites interviews we used to get are now the 20-min plus full press interview we get today.  I’m very much in favour of hearing the whole thing so I get full context.

I liked LJ’s pre-match interviews, I disliked his post-match ones!

[Simon bristol]

8 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

 

And to be clear, that footballing due diligence would have been totally at Tinnions door. Irrespective of whether people want to defend him for other things, that’s the one thing that undoubtedly would have been down to him.

Yes, that sort of thing is now his responsibility, and its reasonable that he should be held to account for it.

[Davefevs]

8 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

As I’ve said a few times the bit I really don’t get is why Liam steadfastly refuses to put someone else up for them. Hes not great at them and sometimes a different voice really helps. LJ put Jamie Mac up at times, Nige put Curtis - I’m not sure what there is to lose by putting “Hoggy” up for one.

I know, bizarre innit?

[mozo]

9 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

As I’ve said a few times the bit I really don’t get is why Liam steadfastly refuses to put someone else up for them. Hes not great at them and sometimes a different voice really helps. LJ put Jamie Mac up at times, Nige put Curtis - I’m not sure what there is to lose by putting “Hoggy” up for one.

What do you mean by "not great at them"? Versus what expectation?

Dors he give an update? Yes. Does he stand up to any question that Piercy throws at him without letting emotion get to him? Yes. 

What more do you need? Jokes? Card tricks? 

I think pre-match interviews are just a tick box for managers and he ticks the box and gets back to work.

He said in the last one that his football philosophy is to have control of possession with intent to attack and not to keep passing it around the back. That's what we want to hear. Job done.

I also see a lot of comments about how unmotivated his voice is. Well, the players have looked highly motivated I'm almost all of Manning's games. We've had problems under Manning but motivation isn't one of them. Some of the criticism has been reasonable, some of it doesn't make sense.

[RedLionLad]

4 minutes ago, mozo said:

What do you mean by "not great at them"? Versus what expectation?

Dors he give an update? Yes. Does he stand up to any question that Piercy throws at him without letting emotion get to him? Yes. 

What more do you need? Jokes? Card tricks? 

I think pre-match interviews are just a tick box for managers and he ticks the box and gets back to work.

He said in the last one that his football philosophy is to have control of possession with intent to attack and not to keep passing it around the back. That's what we want to hear. Job done.

I also see a lot of comments about how unmotivated his voice is. Well, the players have looked highly motivated I'm almost all of Manning's games. We've had problems under Manning but motivation isn't one of them. Some of the criticism has been reasonable, some of it doesn't make sense.

I think he also mentioned something about beating Southampton…

[Davefevs]

6 minutes ago, mozo said:

He said in the last one that his football philosophy is to have control of possession with intent to attack and not to keep passing it around the back. That's what we want to hear. Job done.

We haven’t even managed that much recently!  This is one area where I’m seeing / hearing contradiction.  Previously it was passing it around to create rotations, etc.  Another is he talks about how we move from press into block, whereas I’m seeing it more as going straight into block.

I’m just a fan, but I think he is finding out his philosophy isn’t watertight at this higher level.

[Redrascal2]

1 hour ago, Jimbo76 said:

I'm genuinely starting to think that the majority of posters on here would rather we play badly so they can carry on their obsession with criticising Manning rather than he actually turns things around.

It's getting ridiculous. Yes, his press conferences are a bit monotone. So what, I couldn't care less. 

It all seems to get so personal. He's clearly passionate, hard working and hungry for success.

The contents of this forum will filter through to him and the team, directly or indirectly. What do you think this constant negativity will achieve, other than drag down morale within the team?

If Manning does get success, which I appreciate most have already dismissed, do you think he'll be sticking around for long after this unjustified campaign of personal abuse?

Wish there was a happy clapper forum in existence. Potentially misjudged optimism seems preferable to this obsession with negativity and abuse.

He must have known having to follow Pearson would bring challenges but I bet he never thought it would still be going on.

Where and when has he shown passion. He seems to completely lack any and during games looks lost on the sidelines. As to worrying about whether, he would not want to stay here if successful, that made me laugh. How you can watch how we play and where the team is now and worry about such things is beyond me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Numero Uno]

1 hour ago, Jimbo76 said:

I'm genuinely starting to think that the majority of posters on here would rather we play badly so they can carry on their obsession with criticising Manning rather than he actually turns things around.

It's getting ridiculous. Yes, his press conferences are a bit monotone. So what, I couldn't care less. 

It all seems to get so personal. He's clearly passionate, hard working and hungry for success.

The contents of this forum will filter through to him and the team, directly or indirectly. What do you think this constant negativity will achieve, other than drag down morale within the team?

If Manning does get success, which I appreciate most have already dismissed, do you think he'll be sticking around for long after this unjustified campaign of personal abuse?

Wish there was a happy clapper forum in existence. Potentially misjudged optimism seems preferable to this obsession with negativity and abuse.

He must have known having to follow Pearson would bring challenges but I bet he never thought it would still be going on.

My gut feel is if we had picked up a third more points than the 12 points in the 13 games since the win at Watford very few people would have much to say. The comment about the "majority" of posters would rather we played badly is childish in the extreme to be honest and as another poster hints at just shows that you have no real overall point to make.

You make a good individual point about Liam Manning sticking around.......take a look at his record at other clubs (were the fans there all unfairly abusing him too?) and then tell me why people might not be allowed to judge him on that.

If Manning turns things round from the current poor streak (which we halted last Sunday in unconvincing fashion but cannot say is over until we play a few more games) then fair play to him and happy days for the rest of us. The only person I'm not having at the top of this club, end of story whatever happens, is the Technical Director. Can't **** off soon enough for me.

Edited March 16 by Numero Uno

[mozo]

28 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

We haven’t even managed that much recently!  This is one area where I’m seeing / hearing contradiction.  Previously it was passing it around to create rotations, etc.  Another is he talks about how we move from press into block, whereas I’m seeing it more as going straight into block.

I’m just a fan, but I think he is finding out his philosophy isn’t watertight at this higher level.

No but I put in another thread that I see midfielders showing to receive the ball but defenders not being "brave" enough to play the ball. I think it's a player problem.

As you know, there's nothing wrong with going back to then go forwards, but we're struggling with that atm

Edited March 16 by mozo

[Numero Uno]

6 minutes ago, mozo said:

No but I put in another thread that I see midfielders showing to receive the ball but defenders not being "brave" enough to play the ball. I think it's a player problem.

As you know, there's nothing wrong with going back to then go forwards, but we're struggling with that atm

It gets frustrating when the ball goes back to O'Leary from twenty five yards inside the opposition half. That should literally happen a HANDFUL of times a season at most when the opposition has pressed the shite out of you but with us it's one or two times PER GAME. If O'Leary was 45 yards from goal like the Southampton keeper that's a bit different but he isn't. That simply cannot be the instructions given and assuming it isn't then the way they are being told to play requires a bit more explanation and coaching.

[GrahamC]

1 hour ago, Silvio Dante said:

As I’ve said a few times the bit I really don’t get is why Liam steadfastly refuses to put someone else up for them. Hes not great at them and sometimes a different voice really helps. LJ put Jamie Mac up at times, Nige put Curtis - I’m not sure what there is to lose by putting “Hoggy” up for one.

Said this to a couple of mates last night.

Perhaps Nige was fortunate that Curtis is a very articulate, funny, intelligent bloke but Hogg can’t be any worse than Manning & it would at least add variety as to who we were listening to.

For completeness though Jamie Mac was pretty awful, never answered a question & was incredibly defensive.

Edited March 16 by GrahamC