Tinnion Defiant...

[SimplyRed]

From the main site:

"...total belief..." (in his squad)

"...we can do it..."

"...need a bit of luck..."

"...focus our attention on turning it around..."

"...did what I felt was best for the team..."

"...punished for poor set-piece defending..."

Sound familiar? Of course! This is what he was saying this time last season...

...but what else can he say? These are merely worthless soundbites that you would expect to hear from a manager under pressure.

We have the same weaknesses in this team as there were in last season's team...

* set piece vulnerability

* questionable tactics

* team changes every game

* one dimensional play

* poor crossing

* midfield weakness - no dominance

* defensive lapses

SEVENTEEN of the 25 players in last season's team photo have been moved on.

There is only one common denominator between this season's and last season's team - Tinnion & Millen.

Last year he had the mitigation that he was dealing with Wilson's team - he no longer has that option.

He has demonstrated that his ability to change things around during a game, both this season and last, is almost non-existent.

Even our own most slow-witted fans can see that we cannot defend set pieces, our crossing is poor and our midfield don't dominate enough.

What do they in their training sessions? Is it because the players simply cannot grasp the basics, or is it because the management can't get it across to them and motivate them?

I seem to remember in the build-up to the new season, media reports from the City camp were that all the players were 'creating a really good team spirit and were all itching to pull on the shirt and win promotion'. Fine things to say in the bright, sunny days of pre-season, but there wasn't much of it showing on a wet, miserable day in Bournemouth, was there?

Tinnion made some singings that, on paper, looked astute. But things have backfired on him - mainly because he can't seem to choose a midfield that dominates and provide the sort of service that the likes of Bridges and Stewart thrive on.

We DON'T have a target man, so why punt high crosses into the box? Stewart and Bridges need passes into their feet, not hopeful lobs into space in the channels. Our crosses need to be low and hard, not high looping floaters.

Tinnion needs to learn, and learn quickly, if he is to rescue this season. Nobody is stupid enough to think that the season is over, but we could have been 8 points adrift in 3 games tonight.

As it is, we are only 6 points adrift, but unless Tinnion miraculously becomes a good manager overnight, we will continue to drop points and by the time the "team gels" and "the midfield dominates" and "we start scoring goals", we might be 20 points adrift and the season really will be over.

[Guest The Traveller]

if the directors have any doubt of how the city fans are feeling , then look at the picture in the bristol independent and that is only after 3 games. we were well beaten at bournmouth and for him to say there was not much in it is an insult to the city fans , who had to put up with heavy traffic and rain and then watch that. i think the board need to replace him or get someone to help. i know it is early in the season but it is already looking the same as last year playing catch up. sorry to be negative but this is the way i see it. how long will it be before we get one to one meetings and i wiil look them in the eye.

[Guest Longford Red]

I don't think that SL will wait that long before showing him the door. He could see what we could see yesterday, a disgrace to the fans that travelled. To say that there wasn't much in it is an insult to the supporters of this club.

[zookeeper]

From the main site:

"...total belief..." (in his squad)

"...we can do it..."

"...need a bit of luck..."

"...focus our attention on turning it around..."

"...did what I felt was best for the team..."

"...punished for poor set-piece defending..."

←

The worst sound bite was "need to score the first goal"

That really got my goat.

No Brian, we need to be able to score a goal at any point of the match. We need to have the ability in the players on the pitch and the tactical knowledge to be able to adapt our game if we go a goal down. We need to have players on the bench who can come on to add a spark rather than two fullbacks and a centre back.

Did we have any of this?

I'm still awaiting the usual "hard work in training" nonsense on monday. I'm bloody sick and tired of this hard work - we need to work clever!!