Players, Fans and Press Office In The Comfort Zone?

[cheshire_red]

What exactly is the point in this thread?

Showunmi says 'four wins could be enough'. How is that slipping into the comfort zone? This is a man who fully knows what is required to win this league. He's merely making a prediction, not stating an aim.

He clearly states his aim is to finish in the top 2 and in doing so attempting to win the title.

Actually, in the video interview from which his comments are lifted, he really does say four wins will be enough, so much so that one of the local reporters asks him to confirm that was what he meant at the end of the interview, and he confirms that 'the lads in the changing room are talking about 4 wins being enough'.

[PhatWill]

Actually, in the video interview from which his comments are lifted, he really does say four wins will be enough, so much so that one of the local reporters asks him to confirm that was what he meant at the end of the interview, and he confirms that 'the lads in the changing room are talking about 4 wins being enough'.

So what? Four wins probably will be enough, especially if two of them come against Forest and Yeovil.

I guarantee City players and management will be aiming to win every game between now and the end of the season. It's plain daft to suggest otherwise.

[cheshire_red]

So what? Four wins probably will be enough, especially if two of them come against Forest and Yeovil.

I guarantee City players and management will be aiming to win every game between now and the end of the season. It's plain daft to suggest otherwise.

I haven't suggested otherwise, the interview did!

As have many on here including the former Trade Union Leader from BL.

[Ian M]

Can't argue with that.

We should be killing off teams now, not just scraping 1-0 wins. It leaves too much to the chance equaliser or even a winner in the last minute.

Johnson and the club should be making every effort to ensure we don't fall by the wayside during the run-in and if that means getting fresh legs in then so be it.

All this business about 'not wanting to upset a tight-knit squad' is tripe. There's no room for sentiment in professional football and the club should be using every avenue available to them to ensure we are playing Championship football next season.

You can complain about "leaving chances for an equaliser" in our 1-0 wins but the accounts will show it hasn't happened an awful lot.

In all the games we have led this season, we have only failed to win 4 of them.

In contrast, in all the games we've been behind this season, we've drawn level or completely overturned the lead in 9 of them.

You may choose to dismiss this tight-knit squad as "tripe" but it is this never know they've lost squad (or tripe if you prefer) that has got us into this position and it is this squad that will get us promoted.

[SimplyRed]

You can complain about "leaving chances for an equaliser" in our 1-0 wins but the accounts will show it hasn't happened an awful lot.

In all the games we have led this season, we have only failed to win 4 of them.

In contrast, in all the games we've been behind this season, we've drawn level or completely overturned the lead in 9 of them.

You may choose to dismiss this tight-knit squad as "tripe" but it is this never know they've lost squad (or tripe if you prefer) that has got us into this position and it is this squad that will get us promoted.

Don't put words in my mouth - read my post again.

I did not say a tight-knit squad was tripe, I said that not wanting to disrupt a tight-knit squad was tripe.

What has gone in the past has no bearing on what is about to happen. If we continue the way we are, and in one or two of the key games only get a draw or lose due to being only 1 or zero goals ahead, then this will come back and haunt us.

We need to prove our confidence and ability by brushing aside teams - that's what's been missing all season and why some of us can't get excited, even though we're on the verge of promotion.

Obviously, you don't think we can do with someone who can put the ball in the net, then?

[Ian M]

Whinging for the sake of whinging? You think I have the time to whinge for the sake of it? I wish, atleast you answered other points with a view, not one I agree with but that is the point of a forum.

So stop whinging about whinging when no whinging is actually being done.

Oh come off it, you've been whinging all season. I don't remember you being this critical of a City team in the life of this forum as you have been of the one this season which I just put down to the length of time we've been down here but don't kid yourself that you're not whinging when the majority of your posts this season have been critical of the club in one aspect or another.

I personally will enjoy this season's promotion as much for the two-fingered salute it will represent to the negative element of our support as I will enjoy the by-product of Championship football next season.

(Note that this isn't intended as an attack on yourself or your posts as I still find them enjoyable to read as they provide an anti-thesis to my own standpoint & I'm sure you still enjoy each victory as much as the rest of us - if only secretly ).

[Bristol Boy]

Good job it was Adam not me interviewing Showunmi!

When he said that I'd have said "And how many of those four/eight do you think you'll be available for?"

[Bristol Boy]

My impression of GJ is that he won't allow any complacency to creep in. We are all understandably twitchy after going so close so many times in recent seasons. Let's just take a deep breath and try and hold our collective nerve. According to my two point a game target, we're bang on course.

I'd be amazed if 87 didn't take us up, nay, probably win it but with two of our most previously reliable goal scorers out in Brooker & Murray at a key time it's going to jangle the old nerves and get the old northern orifice twitching, a tad.

[Ian M]

Don't put words in my mouth - read my post again.

I did not say a tight-knit squad was tripe, I said that not wanting to disrupt a tight-knit squad was tripe.

What has gone in the past has no bearing on what is about to happen. If we continue the way we are, and in one or two of the key games only get a draw or lose due to being only 1 or zero goals ahead, then this will come back and haunt us.

We need to prove our confidence and ability by brushing aside teams - that's what's been missing all season and why some of us can't get excited, even though we're on the verge of promotion.

Obviously, you don't think we can do with someone who can put the ball in the net, then?

You of course would not dream of putting words in people's mouths but it would be nice to have someone who can put the ball in the net but not:

a) any old striker that is available because all the ones who can put the ball in the net are either in their own club's 1st XIs or on loan already

b) someone who we would have to commit to buying who whilst "decent" for this level is inferior to one we might pick up in the Summer once a Championship side.

You obviously feel this is a gamble as you don't (appear to) believe we have enough in us to creep over that line. I don't as I am using the evidence of this season to show we do have enough to beat any side in this division.

After Thursday this becomes irrelevant as the loan window closes then I think though I'm not 100% on that.

[cheshire_red]

Oh come off it, you've been whinging all season. I don't remember you being this critical of a City team in the life of this forum as you have been of the one this season which I just put down to the length of time we've been down here but don't kid yourself that you're not whinging when the majority of your posts this season have been critical of the club in one aspect or another.

I personally will enjoy this season's promotion as much for the two-fingered salute it will represent to the negative element of our support as I will enjoy the by-product of Championship football next season.

(Note that this isn't intended as an attack on yourself or your posts as I still find them enjoyable to read as they provide an anti-thesis to my own standpoint & I'm sure you still enjoy each victory as much as the rest of us - if only secretly ).

I'm sure you'd be able to drag the odd post up if you wished to, but crictical of the team, hmmmm not,too often, I'd say praised more than criticed. But as RobboRed has said recently surely that is a balanced view. If one is always praising or always critical then that is surely not the point of any forum be it here or the net centre or subcider. Actually, hmmmm someone else hasn't mentioned this to you have they, I had a long conversation about this a few months ago with mutual acquaintance.

I haven't seen us lose in quite sometime, choose my games carefully you see, Boro wasn't a defeat. Avoid games against the bottom few at home like the plague.

And yes I have criticised the club when, in my humble opinion, they have got it wrong. As well as the ST and SC. Helps not being a member then you can have a pop at anyone. Cheap digs are always the best.

[old_man_terry]

I just cannot believe all this FOUR MORE WINS will gain automatic promotion bullshit. It stinks of arrogance and nonchalance in what is undoubtedly the most important 8 games in the last decade.

Enoch is now on the ficial site saying it. It only needs one side out of the other three to grab the remainder of their season by the balls and they will take it if we continue to show this unbeliveable approach.

I just cannot believe the over-reaction to one sentence in the article totally disregarding what else Enoch said

Enoch also said "If we keep on winning then you never know, we could win promotion and the title as well"

Enoch then said "With Yeovil slipping up, and both them and Forest coming to Ashton Gate, four more wins from the last eight games could be enough." "But as I say we want to win the title and we're looking at S****horpe with the aim to overhaul their four-point advantage."

what stinks of arrogance and nonchalance is the bullshit from the orginal poster trying to stir up a storm over nothing.

personally I totally agree with Enoch!

[Nibor]

a) any old striker that is available because all the ones who can put the ball in the net are either in their own club's 1st XIs or on loan already

And that leads to the big question I think it's fair to ask.

Why do we see our poorer rivals signing great young players like Ryan Jarvis, Leon Best and Jermaine Beckford, who come in and score regularly, whilst we end up with players who don't?

I appreciate that there's a certain risk in bringing in an unproven player, but the manager or scout's ability to watch a player and see whether he's any bloody good or not is supposed to mitigate that, and we're not exactly bringing in proven ones are we? Let's just look at the strikers we've brought in during a season:

Andrews - injury plagued, never really been successful, late in career.

McCammon - ditto.

Andrew (Calvin) - mediocre at best.

Smith - complete unknown in English league football, works hard but doesn't look like scoring.

Corr - rubbish.

Quinn - worse.

Savage - doesn't score enough goals.

All of those were risks, none of them had much impact on the goals for column (a couple of games early on from the first two aside) and I'd say all were much bigger risks than bringing in promising youngsters from the leagues above.

I think when you see our immediate rivals getting goals from players they've signed on loan, whilst we're struggling to even have two fit centre forwards, it is perfectly reasonable to ask the question even if we are getting a good run of results.

[Ian M]

I'm sure you'd be able to drag the odd post up if you wished to, but crictical of the team, hmmmm not,too often, I'd say praised more than criticed. But as RobboRed has said recently surely that is a balanced view. If one is always praising or always critical then that is surely not the point of any forum be it here or the net centre or subcider. Actually, hmmmm someone else hasn't mentioned this to you have they, I had a long conversation about this a few months ago with mutual acquaintance.

I haven't seen us lose in quite sometime, choose my games carefully you see, Boro wasn't a defeat. Avoid games against the bottom few at home like the plague.

And yes I have criticised the club when, in my humble opinion, they have got it wrong. As well as the ST and SC. Helps not being a member then you can have a pop at anyone. Cheap digs are always the best.

That was your most upbeat post in yonks

[cheshire_red]

I just cannot believe the over-reaction to one sentence in the article totally disregarding what else Enoch said

Enoch also said "If we keep on winning then you never know, we could win promotion and the title as well"

Enoch then said "With Yeovil slipping up, and both them and Forest coming to Ashton Gate, four more wins from the last eight games could be enough." "But as I say we want to win the title and we're looking at S****horpe with the aim to overhaul their four-point advantage."

what stinks of arrogance and nonchalance is the bullshit from the orginal poster trying to stir up a storm over nothing.

personally I totally agree with Enoch!

I'll refer you to a previous answer:

Actually, in the video interview from which his comments are lifted, he really does say four wins will be enough, so much so that one of the local reporters asks him to confirm that was what he meant at the end of the interview, and he confirms that 'the lads in the changing room are talking about 4 wins being enough'.

Now it was this last statement that concerns me, the lads are talking about........that to me is worrying talk indeed. And it is exactly why the local hack asked for clarification.

The arrogance I refer to is not the players but the posts I have read on here since Saturday's win. Four more wins will be enough, 8X points will be enough to go up. It smacks of an arrogance which has no founding whatsoever. We have to match (or nearly match) what any of the other promotion candidates achieve. So if Forest win 7 games then we have to win 6.

If I was Calderwood, Slade or Sheridan that would be on my teams dressing room wall immediately.

[old_man_terry]

And that leads to the big question I think it's fair to ask.

Why do we see our poorer rivals signing great young players like Ryan Jarvis, Leon Best and Jermaine Beckford, who come in and score regularly, whilst we end up with players who don't?

I appreciate that there's a certain risk in bringing in an unproven player, but the manager or scout's ability to watch a player and see whether he's any bloody good or not is supposed to mitigate that, and we're not exactly bringing in proven ones are we? Let's just look at the strikers we've brought in during a season:

Andrews - injury plagued, never really been successful, late in career.

McCammon - ditto.

Andrew (Calvin) - mediocre at best.

Smith - complete unknown in English league football, works hard but doesn't look like scoring.

Corr - rubbish.

Quinn - worse.

Savage - doesn't score enough goals.

All of those were risks, none of them had much impact on the goals for column (a couple of games early on from the first two aside) and I'd say all were much bigger risks than bringing in promising youngsters from the leagues above.

I think when you see our immediate rivals getting goals from players they've signed on loan, whilst we're struggling to even have two fit centre forwards, it is perfectly reasonable to ask the question even if we are getting a good run of results.

seems to be a bit of a trend with those 3 strikers you have mentioned in Jarvis, Best and Beckford,

for starters all 3 were unknowns prior to joining their clubs and in fairness had no footballing record to mention and very much unknown quantities and in fairness Andrew and Corr basically had the same background and record prior to joining us - ours didn't pay off, in fairness Smith despite his age from the same vien and perhaps we have just been unlucky

Quinn - agree total rubbish, Savage - less said the better, Andrews - did ok and what was needed, however Big Mac was a quality signing and suprised he didn't sign perm.

however one thing I've just noticed with the players mentioned they have all moved to fairly local clubs, Beckford - Leeds to Scunny & Best from Southampton to Yeovil

who is local to us in leagues above......Birmingham........Nick Wright....oh bugger!

[HambrookRed]

seems to be a bit of a trend with those 3 strikers you have mentioned in Jarvis, Best and Beckford,

for starters all 3 were unknowns prior to joining their clubs and in fairness had no footballing record to mention and very much unknown quantities and in fairness Andrew and Corr basically had the same background and record prior to joining us - ours didn't pay off, in fairness Smith despite his age from the same vien and perhaps we have just been unlucky

Quinn - agree total rubbish, Savage - less said the better, Andrews - did ok and what was needed, however Big Mac was a quality signing and suprised he didn't sign perm.

however one thing I've just noticed with the players mentioned they have all moved to fairly local clubs, Beckford - Leeds to Scunny & Best from Southampton to Yeovil

who is local to us in leagues above......Birmingham........Nick Wright....oh bugger!

Cheltenham have some young kiddie from liverpool, seems to be doing alright....Steven something.....

[old_man_terry]

Cheltenham have some young kiddie from liverpool, seems to be doing alright....Steven something.....

2 goals this season

[Red to the world]

And that leads to the big question I think it's fair to ask.

Why do we see our poorer rivals signing great young players like Ryan Jarvis, Leon Best and Jermaine Beckford, who come in and score regularly, whilst we end up with players who don't?

I appreciate that there's a certain risk in bringing in an unproven player, but the manager or scout's ability to watch a player and see whether he's any bloody good or not is supposed to mitigate that, and we're not exactly bringing in proven ones are we? Let's just look at the strikers we've brought in during a season:

Andrews - injury plagued, never really been successful, late in career.

McCammon - ditto.

Andrew (Calvin) - mediocre at best.

Smith - complete unknown in English league football, works hard but doesn't look like scoring.

Corr - rubbish.

Quinn - worse.

Savage - doesn't score enough goals.

All of those were risks, none of them had much impact on the goals for column (a couple of games early on from the first two aside) and I'd say all were much bigger risks than bringing in promising youngsters from the leagues above.

I think when you see our immediate rivals getting goals from players they've signed on loan, whilst we're struggling to even have two fit centre forwards, it is perfectly reasonable to ask the question even if we are getting a good run of results.

As always Nibor a very fair post - think that this is GJ's achilles heel really.

Don't know if it is his ego his staff or his judgement but overall since he joined us his loan signings have been just about total crap if we are honest - even his successor at Yeovil has done better.

Lets hope it doesn't cost us BIGTIME !

[old_man_terry]

As always Nibor a very fair post - think that this is GJ's achilles heel really.

Don't know if it is his ego his staff or his judgement but overall since he joined us his loan signings have been just about total crap if we are honest - even his successor at Yeovil has done better.

Lets hope it doesn't cost us BIGTIME !

what ego?

name a City manager who's loan signings haven't been crap? when was the last time we had a decent loan player? personally in the last 10 years I can think of ONE decent loan signing and that was Robins oh and Fontaine

It is not johnson's loan signings that are BAD, it is the loan system in general, pretty much every city manager I can recall has had majority of his loan signings to be rubbish!

[Red to the world]

what ego?

name a City manager who's loan signings haven't been crap? when was the last time we had a decent loan player? personally in the last 10 years I can think of ONE decent loan signing and that was Robins oh and Fontaine

It is not johnson's loan signings that are BAD, it is the loan system in general, pretty much every city manager I can recall has had majority of his loan signings to be rubbish!

Fair enough but why do other managers do very much better ?

[Nibor]

for starters all 3 were unknowns prior to joining their clubs and in fairness had no footballing record to mention and very much unknown quantities and in fairness Andrew and Corr basically had the same background and record prior to joining us - ours didn't pay off, in fairness Smith despite his age from the same vien and perhaps we have just been unlucky

Well, if it was one or two I might agree it was unlucky. I think what it actually shows though is that whoever identifies players is crap at picking out strikers.

It's about getting it right. Young players might be an unknown quantity in terms of how they cope in the league, but their ability is there for anyone who watches reserves, academy games and international u-21s/u19s etc to see. The managers of those clubs didn't just wake up one day and pick the first young player they could get their hands on, they did their research and got it right. We evidently didn't.

Now don't get me wrong, I thoroughly support GJ and think he's a very good manager. I just think that the ability to recognise goalscorers is a bit of a weakness of his. His eye on defenders and midfielders looks good to me though and is largely why we're in the position to moan about lacking only a cutting edge.

[Chessels Chick]

And that leads to the big question I think it's fair to ask.

Why do we see our poorer rivals signing great young players like Ryan Jarvis, Leon Best and Jermaine Beckford, who come in and score regularly, whilst we end up with players who don't?

I appreciate that there's a certain risk in bringing in an unproven player, but the manager or scout's ability to watch a player and see whether he's any bloody good or not is supposed to mitigate that, and we're not exactly bringing in proven ones are we? Let's just look at the strikers we've brought in during a season:

Andrews - injury plagued, never really been successful, late in career.

McCammon - ditto.

Andrew (Calvin) - mediocre at best.

Smith - complete unknown in English league football, works hard but doesn't look like scoring.

Corr - rubbish.

Quinn - worse.

Savage - doesn't score enough goals.

All of those were risks, none of them had much impact on the goals for column (a couple of games early on from the first two aside) and I'd say all were much bigger risks than bringing in promising youngsters from the leagues above.

I think when you see our immediate rivals getting goals from players they've signed on loan, whilst we're struggling to even have two fit centre forwards, it is perfectly reasonable to ask the question even if we are getting a good run of results.

Noticed he's gone on loan to Swindon - Sturrock managed him at Sheff Wed and must have seen something in him????!! Be interesting to see how he get's on there replacing Roberts and/or Peacock - City rejects who got a slating by Sturrock after Saturday

[Dolman Block B]

what ego?

name a City manager who's loan signings haven't been crap? when was the last time we had a decent loan player? personally in the last 10 years I can think of ONE decent loan signing and that was Robins oh and Fontaine

It is not johnson's loan signings that are BAD, it is the loan system in general, pretty much every city manager I can recall has had majority of his loan signings to be rubbish!

Only really first class loan signing i can remember was MARK ROBBINS..who brought him in thou?

[robins72]

Only really first class loan signing i can remember was MARK ROBBINS..who brought him in thou?

That was under Danny Wilson in 2003 he disappeared before the ldv final and we missed out on automatic because we didnt have a prolific striker at the time as Peacock wasnt at his best if I remember rightly. Hope the same doesnt happen again this season.

[SimplyRed]

You of course would not dream of putting words in people's mouths but it would be nice to have someone who can put the ball in the net but not:

Just returning the compliment

a) any old striker that is available because all the ones who can put the ball in the net are either in their own club's 1st XIs or on loan already

b) someone who we would have to commit to buying who whilst "decent" for this level is inferior to one we might pick up in the Summer once a Championship side.

You obviously feel this is a gamble as you don't (appear to) believe we have enough in us to creep over that line. I don't as I am using the evidence of this season to show we do have enough to beat any side in this division.

After Thursday this becomes irrelevant as the loan window closes then I think though I'm not 100% on that.

You're quite right, I don't feel we have enough. We might do it, but what's the matter with some insurance?

If Johnson can't do better than 'any old striker that's available' or 'have to commit to buying', then perhaps we should question his credentials and those of his brother, who is picking up a nice little earner for what, exactly?

If other teams in our league can unearth the odd little gem on loan, what's our problem?

[Nibor]

Decent loan signings I can remember us making:

Fontaine

Noble (thought that was really a permanent signing from day one)

Robins

the Silva

Black

Howells

Blackmore

Fleck

Cole (we had him on loan first didn't we?)

That list is going back over about 15 years I think. When you look at some other clubs, particularly those that seem to have two or three season long loans each year (Pigtown springs to mind), we don't do that well with loans.

[stortfordred]

I just cannot believe all this FOUR MORE WINS will gain automatic promotion bullshit. It stinks of arrogance and nonchalance in what is undoubtedly the most important 8 games in the last decade.

It's about time BRISTOL CITY FC took a gamble, paid out just a little of the money we have accrued in the last few seasons in transfer fees and actually, for once, said YES WE ARE GOING TO DO IT THIS SEASON AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO LEAVE ANYTHING TO CHANCE.

looks like a certain S****horpe manager agrees with your sentiments but has a way of dealing with it and it doesn't seem to involve new players

We are so near yet so far," Adkins added. "Over the years I have been at football clubs where we have said "we need six more wins."

"But they have not come because we have not identified how to win those six games.

"We have to concentrate on each game, process, plan and prepare then analyse it, feed it back and move onto the next one.

Perhaps GJ has other things to worry about rather than scouting new players. Who says someone, however good, will slot in and start performing right away? Let's win the title with the players we have already.

[old_man_terry]

Decent loan signings I can remember us making:

Fontaine, Noble (thought that was really a permanent signing from day one), Robins, the Silva, Black, Howells, Blackmore, Fleck

Cole (we had him on loan first didn't we?)

That list is going back over about 15 years I think. When you look at some other clubs, particularly those that seem to have two or three season long loans each year (Pigtown springs to mind), we don't do that well with loans.

that's the thing apart from a couple of others, best loan signing we ever had though was Joe Royle by a mile........it's been downhill since then!

we are renowed though for signing RUBBISH strikers on loan, people remember Royle, Cole, Fleck and Robins however for each of them there has been

Phil Starbuck, Craig Maskell, Stig Johanson, Craig Fagan, Paul Miller, Sean Fatty McCarthy, Mark Flatts (maybe a winger?)

fact is Johnson isn't the only person to have signed rubbish loan players

[bucksred]

I just cannot believe all this FOUR MORE WINS will gain automatic promotion bullshit. It stinks of arrogance and nonchalance in what is undoubtedly the most important 8 games in the last decade.

Enoch is now on the ficial site saying it. It only needs one side out of the other three to grab the remainder of their season by the balls and they will take it if we continue to show this unbeliveable approach.

I'd swap Forest's run-in for ours right now and Oldham's. I hope Oldham are too far adrift but it will only take one defeat to Forest and a draw at Doncaster to see us probably back to third and playing catchup again.

Let US be the side who grabs it by the balls and ensure we WIN every match at all costs and for me that ALL COSTS includes bringing in a striker on loan or with a view to a permanent transfer who can SCORE GOALS. I will not accept that there is no one available, we don't have to limit ourselves to England you know. Loans cost nothing but wages, I'd pay out £100k to ensure we gained promotion, thats like £15k a week for the rest of the season, a cheap price to pay. Loans with a view to permanent transfer are also fine because if the lad isn't what we are looking for then we don't buy, simple.

It's about time BRISTOL CITY FC took a gamble, paid out just a little of the money we have accrued in the last few seasons in transfer fees and actually, for once, said YES WE ARE GOING TO DO IT THIS SEASON AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO LEAVE ANYTHING TO CHANCE.

Spot on Chesh, spot on.

Oh come off it, you've been whinging all season. I don't remember you being this critical of a City team in the life of this forum as you have been of the one this season which I just put down to the length of time we've been down here but don't kid yourself that you're not whinging when the majority of your posts this season have been critical of the club in one aspect or another.

I personally will enjoy this season's promotion as much for the two-fingered salute it will represent to the negative element of our support as I will enjoy the by-product of Championship football next season.

(Note that this isn't intended as an attack on yourself or your posts as I still find them enjoyable to read as they provide an anti-thesis to my own standpoint & I'm sure you still enjoy each victory as much as the rest of us - if only secretly ).

Madger, hes not the only one. At times this season City have been utterly shite. no ifs or buts. Pointing this out does NOT make you negative. It makes you a realist. There are moaners, there are a whole lot more realists. I do find this whole if youre not behind the team 100% you aint a City fan bollox, an utter pain in the arse. No one can be blind to some of the crap played by city this season, can they?

I just cannot believe the over-reaction to one sentence in the article totally disregarding what else Enoch said

Enoch also said "If we keep on winning then you never know, we could win promotion and the title as well"

Enoch then said "With Yeovil slipping up, and both them and Forest coming to Ashton Gate, four more wins from the last eight games could be enough." "But as I say we want to win the title and we're looking at S****horpe with the aim to overhaul their four-point advantage."

what stinks of arrogance and nonchalance is the bullshit from the orginal poster trying to stir up a storm over nothing.

personally I totally agree with Enoch!

Yep, and you were probably like this during Wondersons last season. some of us doubted we'd go up, and were slated to death. some of the slaters were worse in defeat than the cynics and realists.....Pride cometh before a fall. Always best to keep quiet, its all the more satisfying when you do do it.

And that leads to the big question I think it's fair to ask.

Why do we see our poorer rivals signing great young players like Ryan Jarvis, Leon Best and Jermaine Beckford, who come in and score regularly, whilst we end up with players who don't?

I appreciate that there's a certain risk in bringing in an unproven player, but the manager or scout's ability to watch a player and see whether he's any bloody good or not is supposed to mitigate that, and we're not exactly bringing in proven ones are we? Let's just look at the strikers we've brought in during a season:

Andrews - injury plagued, never really been successful, late in career.

McCammon - ditto.

Andrew (Calvin) - mediocre at best.

Smith - complete unknown in English league football, works hard but doesn't look like scoring.

Corr - rubbish.

Quinn - worse.

Savage - doesn't score enough goals.

All of those were risks, none of them had much impact on the goals for column (a couple of games early on from the first two aside) and I'd say all were much bigger risks than bringing in promising youngsters from the leagues above.

I think when you see our immediate rivals getting goals from players they've signed on loan, whilst we're struggling to even have two fit centre forwards, it is perfectly reasonable to ask the question even if we are getting a good run of results.

agreed 100%. Our strike force is also threadbare due to more or less constant injuries to one or more of said strikers. add that to the errrr "loanees" and its a worry.

I'll refer you to a previous answer:

Actually, in the video interview from which his comments are lifted, he really does say four wins will be enough, so much so that one of the local reporters asks him to confirm that was what he meant at the end of the interview, and he confirms that 'the lads in the changing room are talking about 4 wins being enough'.

Now it was this last statement that concerns me, the lads are talking about........that to me is worrying talk indeed. And it is exactly why the local hack asked for clarification.

The arrogance I refer to is not the players but the posts I have read on here since Saturday's win. Four more wins will be enough, 8X points will be enough to go up. It smacks of an arrogance which has no founding whatsoever. We have to match (or nearly match) what any of the other promotion candidates achieve. So if Forest win 7 games then we have to win 6.

If I was Calderwood, Slade or Sheridan that would be on my teams dressing room wall immediately.

Not just those three, any other team in the pray off slots- Swampsea in particular.

[robins72]

Spot on Chesh, spot on.

Madger, hes not the only one. At times this season City have been utterly shite. no ifs or buts. Pointing this out does NOT make you negative. It makes you a realist. There are moaners, there are a whole lot more realists. I do find this whole if youre not behind the team 100% you aint a City fan bollox, an utter pain in the arse. No one can be blind to some of the crap played by city this season, can they?

Yep, and you were probably like this during Wondersons last season. some of us doubted we'd go up, and were slated to death. some of the slaters were worse in defeat than the cynics and realists.....Pride cometh before a fall. Always best to keep quiet, its all the more satisfying when you do do it.

agreed 100%. Our strike force is also threadbare due to more or less constant injuries to one or more of said strikers. add that to the errrr "loanees" and its a worry.

Not just those three, any other team in the pray off slots- Swampsea in particular.

Could you imagine our WORST nightmare happening finishing 3rd and getting Swansea in the play-offs who finish 6th. Remember what happened when we played Cardiff in 2003 they went up!!!