***newsflash***

[Nogbad the Bad]

Was actually born in Bristol!!

All this talk about him being Welsh and supporting Cardiff was just a big scam.

Now that you know the truth, forget about Tommy, Lita etc.

We`ve been looking for a real crowd hero since Jacki left and he has been here all along.

Wake up and smell the coffee.

Christian Roberts is from Bristol,

He`s one of us.

Official.

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That's right, born in Welsh Back.

[Nogbad the Bad]

It is nothing to do with his nationality if it was they would be critical towards, Lita, Wilkshire, etc etc who aren't English.

Also none of our other past Welsh players suffered from it. Take it some people belive he isn't  agreat player and as you can't see why they cannot see why you think hes great, some may even think you favour him as you feel sorry for him because you have an idea that people pick on him cause hes welsh.

I really hate people putting people thinking hes not a great player down to him being welsh I can assure you 90-99% of people who don't think hes a great player belive this due to their opinion of him as a PLAYER.

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The Welsh/Cardiff thing is an extra stick to beat him with for some people.

People dislike the Welsh more than Australians/Congonese.

City have had very few Welsh players over the last few decades, especially considering how "close" we are to them. In my time:

John Emanuel - scoring the winner against Man. Utd. certainly helped but you're right in this case, i don't remember any residual hate.

Garry Emmanuel - hounded out after just a few WEEKS, ex-gas didn't help.

Mark Hughes - lots of stick, ex-gas didn't help, again.

Mark Aizlewood - don't remember much abuse, all action, take no prisoners, no-nonsense style would have helped.

Darren Barnard - not sure if he was "Welsh" when he signed for us. Played for them, nothing else Welsh about him. Very popular.

Rob Edwards - brought up in Cumbria, wasn't he? Signed as a youngster from Carlisle. No Welsh accent or apparent ties. Steady but anonymous sort of player, unlikely to raise fans feelings one way or the other.

Must be others(?) but certainly not enough to prove the point.

You can't speak for 90-99%, the Welsh factor is certainly evident in the people near me who give Roberts stick.

[Guest MaloneFM]

I think that the answer lies in a combination of his attitude, personality, and frustration with his inconsistency, that has marked him out for those who feel that any shortcomings are licence to hurl racist abuse. I would like to think that the club would not tolerate such abusive racism towards any black or Asian players, so why do they tolerate this?

In a nutshell, Christian has a similar attitude to Tony Thorpe. He's got an air of arrogance, is a bit of a flash geezer, thinks he's a better player than he is (like TT he is a decent jouneyman striker in the third flight of English football) he is petulant and winds the opposition fans up! People tend to forget how popular a player Thorpe was until he stated that he wasn't signing another contract and then all these things that fans had turned a blind eye to suddenly came racing to the surface - TT can think himself lucky that he was born in Leicester, not Cardiff! What the idiots don't realise is that this ego thing is what made them good enough strikers to play at this level in the first place.

I believe that everyone has a right to go to a football match and yell and criticize as much as they want when players don't perform, but it should be confined to criticism on football matters only. If Robbo - who I believe to be a decent player who has been a big part in city's recent revival - is called a Welsh **** when he messes up a chance or misplaces a pass then the person who shouts this should be escorted from the ground in accordance with the Current regulations.

AMEN!

Old Dazzler.

THAT is the nail on the head for most of us in the anti Roberts camp.

But the only one that can sort it out is him. And it seems he is doing that. In the Post this week he said he has realised he has to control his head more in front of goal. As the Tinman would no doubt have told him the best way forwards is to get your head down and concentrate on your game.

Even Tim Davey from the Post pointed out how frustrating he is at times.

As for the Welsh stuff. We have gone over more than once the fact the Welsh are not a race. And if you want to accept that then all the people that shouted FATTY at Peacock or will do on 27th November should be ejected for stoutism.

I have NEVER agreed with chanting or abuse based on colour and god knows I have heard enough but I think to get ejected for shouting GINGER or TAFFY or as they wanted to do at the Mammary ground, kick you out for swearing at a game, it going way too far.

I heard Thorpe more than once called a 'short greedy bistard' which is sizeism capitalism AND swearing..possibly..all rolled into one.

OFFICER..THROW AWAY THE KEY!

[Nogbad the Bad]

I think that the answer lies in a combination of his attitude, personality, and frustration with his inconsistency, that has marked him out for those who feel that any shortcomings are licence to hurl racist abuse. I would like to think that the club would not tolerate such abusive racism towards any black or Asian players, so why do they tolerate this?

In a nutshell, Christian has a similar attitude to Tony Thorpe. He's got an air of arrogance, is a bit of a flash geezer, thinks he's a better player than he is (like TT he is a decent jouneyman striker in the third flight of English football) he is petulant and winds the opposition fans up! People tend to forget how popular a player Thorpe was until he stated that he wasn't signing another contract and then all these things that fans had turned a blind eye to suddenly came racing to the surface - TT can think himself lucky that he was born in Leicester, not Cardiff! What the idiots don't realise is that this ego thing is what made them good enough strikers to play at this level in the first place.

I believe that everyone has a right to go to a football match and yell and criticize as much as they want when players don't perform, but it should be confined to criticism on football matters only. If Robbo - who I believe to be a decent player who has been a big part in city's recent revival - is called a Welsh **** when he messes up a chance or misplaces a pass then the person who shouts this should be escorted from the ground in accordance with the Current regulations.

AMEN!

Old Dazzler.

THAT is the nail on the head for most of us in the anti Roberts camp.

But the only one that can sort it out is him. And it seems he is doing that. In the Post this week he said he has realised he has to control his head more in front of goal. As the Tinman would no doubt have told him the best way forwards is to get your head down and concentrate on your game.

Even Tim Davey from the Post pointed out how frustrating he is at times.

As for the Welsh stuff. We have gone over more than once the fact the Welsh are not a race. And if you want to accept that then all the people that shouted FATTY at Peacock or will do on 27th November should be ejected for stoutism.

I have NEVER agreed with chanting or abuse based on colour and god knows I have heard enough but I think to get ejected for shouting GINGER or TAFFY or as they wanted to do at the Mammary ground, kick you out for swearing at a game, it going way too far.

I heard Thorpe more than once called a 'short greedy bistard' which is sizeism capitalism AND swearing..possibly..all rolled into one.

OFFICER..THROW AWAY THE KEY!

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"thinks he is a better player than he is?" - well i don't agree with Old Dazzler or you on this one. If anything Roberts lacks a bit of confidence and it would be interesting to see what heights he'd be capable of without the threat of a barrage of abuse greeting his first mistake.

You seem to be mellowing in your posts, MaloneFM, since you've realised that the tide has turned and you're an increasingly isolated voice. Perhaps you're also realising that your imagined perception of Roberts character isn't an argument at all and in truth you lost the rest of the debate weeks ago.

[Guest MaloneFM]

My posts concerning Roberts have not really changed..he however has.

The first few seasons were by the far the worst I have seen. Towards the end of the last one he was clearly playing for his contract and got his head down a bit.

I still think he had a stinker in the Hartlepool game apart from two incidents. He whined constantly and did nothing up until, booted the ball at a prostrate and injured Peacock and just walked away. No accident there. I wanted to see the back of him as soon as and was hoping I would in the closed season when Wilson gave him another go.

If it came down to 'we all love Roberts lets have a website/list/shrine to him' I'd still be against it. Even if he was Ronaldo.

Its not a case of my being shouted down and realising my cause is hopeless as you suggest. If he is bad and I don't rate him I will say so unlike the shouters on a saturday who don't.

He is improving in attitude both to us, the team, and to his job. But I am not signing any 'we love Roberts' list nor will I be asking Steve Lansdown to get him to blow me kisses at the next home game.

[Riaz]

The first few seasons were by the far the worst I have seen

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First season 17 goals.....worst you have seen??

second season (last season) started season out of position, when he finally got back in his correct position he scored 6 goals in ten!

Good goal-scoring record I think....

Towards the end of the last one he was clearly playing for his contract and got his head down a bit.

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You don't think his return to form had anything to do with being played in his correct position??

so sum up the point I'd like to make, is his goalscoring record up until this season in the league, when he's played up front:

02/03 17 goals in 48

03/04 6 goals in 10

Total 23 in 58 - Not amazing but impressive see that he's been in and out the side

[jimmyb]

My posts concerning Roberts have not really changed..he however has.

The first few seasons were by the far the worst I have seen. Towards the end of the last one he was clearly playing for his contract and got his head down a bit.

Ok so 17 goals and a number of assists (which in 'minutes on the pitch' analysis were better than murrays) is poor for a young striker playing his first full seaosn at the club and at this level of football. What would you have classed as a success for him?

At the beginning of last season he was ****ed around no-end by Wilson and this didnt help him but agian to his credit he didnt complain he worked hard got back in the team and showed what he can do. So wheres the problem?

I still think he had a stinker in the Hartlepool game apart from two incidents.

Two incidents which won us the match and put us in the final so whats the problem? Granted i'd have been happier if he'd done it in the first twenty minutes but at least he carried on trying and got his reward unlike some players who did seem to go noticably missing on that night.

He whined constantly and did nothing up until, booted the ball at a prostrate and injured Peacock and just walked away. No accident there.

And if it contributed to Peacock leaving the pitch all the better for it. To quote yourself Peacock was having 'a stinker'. Perhaps if Roberts had done that in February we wouldnt even had needed the play offs to go up.

I wanted to see the back of him as soon as and was hoping I would in the closed season when Wilson gave him another go.

Well we don't always get what we want.

If it came down to 'we all love Roberts lets have a website/list/shrine to him' I'd still be against it. Even if he was Ronaldo.

Its not a case of my being shouted down and realising my cause is hopeless as you suggest. If he is bad and I don't rate him I will say so unlike the shouters on a saturday who don't.

He is improving in attitude both to us,

When has his attitude to the fans been poor? Does he have tendancy to have a pop at us regularly like Phillips does? Not that I can remember.

the team, and to his job.

Again when has this been poor? From what i can make out Roberts is and always has been one of the more popular members of the dressing room. Granted he and Peacock i don't believe saw eye to eye on many things but i cant remember this effecting his attitude or commitment.

One of the criticisms often levelled at him is his attitude on the pitch but i disagree. Yes his body language sometimes gives the i don't give toss impression but i think he works a lot harder than a few of our forwards have in recent years in winning the ball back and chasing down the opposition.

But I am not signing any 'we love Roberts' list nor will I be asking Steve Lansdown to get him to blow me kisses at the next home game.

Can you ask Steve to get him to blow them in my direction then.

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[Guest monster red]

don't agree!!

The guy is putting in a little more effort at the moment, but why do you think that is? could it be for his love of Bristol City FC or because he knows he could be out of contract in a few months time and playing for the likes of Colin Hendry at Blackpool?!

See the bigger picture people, he's a waster in my eyes,average at best!! How many glaring misses/mistakes can you think of from Roberts? exactly!

If he earns new contract from Tinnion i'll be very surprised!!

[jimmyb]

See the bigger picture people, he's a waster in my eyes,average at best!! How many glaring misses/mistakes can you think of from Roberts? exactly!

If he earns new contract from Tinnion i'll be very surprised!!

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Well then Lita should be transfer listed immediately for missing that header on saturday - which was the worst miss i've ever seen at the gate. And he missed when through one on one with the keeper so i want him transfer listed immediately.

[Riaz]

don't agree!!

The guy is putting in a little more effort at the moment, but why do you think that is? could it be for his love of Bristol City FC or because he knows he could be out of contract in a few months time and playing for the likes of Colin Hendry at Blackpool?!

See the bigger picture people, he's a waster in my eyes,average at best!! How many glaring misses/mistakes can you think of from Roberts? exactly!

If he earns new contract from Tinnion i'll be very surprised!!

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throughtout his short career at city he has scored goals (whilst playing up front) not just when his contract was about to expire....I keep saying it 17 goals when he first joined!

[Guest MaloneFM]

Christ..here we go again....

17 goals for any striker is poor but I don't and never have rated players on how many goals they get. I though Goater was lazy. As for the young striker and this level of football..he was at Cardiff remember and they could see nothing in him. They are now above us. At Exeter in their level of footbal he was probably very good. I look at the amount of buggering about he did, the whining and the lack of control which he still has at times.

He was only pushed around by Wilson beacuse he had no head for it up front. The number of clear chances he missed. So he was pushed put wide where he could use his pace and run at players. But he still went down too easily and lost possession too amny times. He didn't complain..how do you know? Did you see the stand up row he had with Danny Coles in the car park after the Blackpool game last season? I did. Did you hear Matty Hill telling Colesy to leave it? I did.

He was on of those who went missing on the night against Hartlepool as well. I was begging for him to go off. He was a liabilty and got lucky.

To quote me correctly Roberts was having a stinker NOT Peacock. Peacock wasn't brilliant by any stretch. It was a team used to playing the same old way with the same old faces.

When has his attitude to the fans been poor? You havn't seen him running at the Family enclosure screaming abuse about what we have got to effing say about him now? Missed that too did you? Quite a lot of kids didn't. Seen him after the game signing autographs? No? Ah because he has to get ALL the way home. Seen him brush past kids to get into his car? Must be someone else then.

What you can make out and what I know are two different things. He is arrogant to the point of telling Wilson to sub Joe Burnell because he wasn't giving the ball right across the park for him to run on to. It went down well. The number of games Doherty would not speak to him. Or Phillips. And you have just heard the Colesy story.

But I will agree with you about Peacock. I think eye to eye is being kind. More like eye for an eye.

When he chases down the opposition he is usually booked afterwards for a two footed lunge. How he stays on sometimes god alone knows. I tend to think that he is pulling out the stops because he is putting himself in the shop window.

Notice I never used the expression...'and he is Welsh'.

[Reddrive]

Taxi for MaloneFM. He is a celebrity in his own life time , get him out of here .......

Anyhow I know for a fact that MaloneFM is a secret Roberts fan and will shortly be coming out the closet . After every home game you will find him outside the changing rooms waiting for his idol , 'good game Chris , nice car Chris ' etc etc ...