Red-Robbo

Unlike against Preston, I didn't think the main problem today was that we couldn't physically compete - we had a lightweight attacking line at the start, granted, but we are missing Conway and Weimann. Preston were a big burly side. This lot weren't. Their midfielder who scored the first goal looked like a mascot! We simply didn't pass as well, link up as well, organise as well, or show as much attacking intent as Birmingham. What disappoints so much, is we know these players can - and have - played better.

THIS is where we need to spend what cash we have. We had two defensive midfielders - James and Williams. We have Knight, who, in the two games I've watched him, offers less of a threat to the opposition goal than I do from Row 34. We've just lost a highly creative midfielder who, although he wasn't the most physical, could spot a defence-splitting pass. We need someone with that creativity, vision and to just break-up play going straight down the centre towards us. Hearing Pearson's interview on RB on the way back from that, didn't exactly inspire me that we're getting anyone.

Certainly makes you wonder, doesn't it? It isn't just the prison term: there's a long history stretching back to the "cigar in the eye" incident. Maybe, like Johnson Sr did here, Joey will recruit a family member who played a bit of football in his youth, and will fit in with the prevailing ethos at the Mem and has recently become available? https://metro.co.uk/2022/09/23/joey-bartons-brother-to-be-released-17-years-after-racist-murder-17440134/

Maths - 13,464 > 20,351 Geography - Iran isn't in the Middle East Human geography - Middle Eastern women all like having to wear hijabs Law - A drunken fracas with nightclub bouncers is worse than assaulting two women, or beating up your wife and beating up a random taxi driver because you're annoyed with the wait at McDonalds Business - UK-registered Bristol Sport is a tax-avoiding corporate entity, whereas Jersey-registered Dwane Sports isn't. Moral philosophy - An aside in a press interview made by a former manager is embarrassing, piping in clapping noise isn't Engineering - Having a modern stadium = soulless; having a three-sided ramshackle dump = character History - Last time BRFC beat BCFC at Ashton Gate - 27 years ago; Last season BRFC had larger crowds than BCFC circa 65 years ago; Last time BRFC were in a division above BCFC - 49 years ago; last time BRFC were in a league position in the same league above BCFC - 23 years ago. He's a mine of information.

Know whatcha mean....

He pleaded not guilty to the slapping and spitting on the second woman he has assaulted and only changed his plea when evidence disclosure showed the case against him was unarguable. Sounds very contrite. ?

Nope, not like your manager to do anything "frankly embarrassing"....

Translation: "We are owned by two moderately wealthy Arabs, one of whom was a Chelsea fan, but couldn't afford to invest in the PL so took the bargain bucket choice, the other one until recently couldn't find Bristol on a map. You are owned by a Bristolian billionaire and have a ground that looks like a 21st Century one, as opposed to ours that looks like a 1960s one, crossed with a bomb site, crossed with a derelict funfair from Scooby Doo. Therefore, I am jealous." Both clubs are owned by corporate entities. The red one is big and professional enough not to make a continual laughing stock of itself. Do you honestly not find Barton's recent social media strops and your PR department's comparison of joining Roverzz with booking a berth on the Titanic funny?

My dad knew Fred and said he was a very nice man off the pitch, but quite a stern one in training. He brooked no nonsense.

If you pop into The Manor (a pub) in Ditcheat, you may meet him many a weekend. Always happy to chat about his City days, if his talkative missus allows him to get a word in edgeways! ?

I've got some memorabilia at home (not purchased on the day by myself, you understand ). At 5' 9", Clay was the second tallest on our team that day. Only Annan, our right back at 5ft 10" was taller. Most of the team were 5' 6"/5' 7". Wedlock was 5' 5". JD would've loved to have played back then. Man U were cheating a bit, I think by having a goalie who was 6' 1.5" and lighter than ours. In fact, they were a considerably larger team than us. Somethings never change.

First-choice or not, they'll be soaking up a fair wage, given their experience. Mr AlSaaed will have to sell a lot of KFC at his outlets in Kuwait City to afford what is, for you, quite an ambitious summer's spending. FWIW I expect your season to progress better than it's started. Top 6 is by no means impossible, although you'd experience a Yeovil-like rude awakening if you did manage to make it up. The second tier is a whole different ballgame than it was in the 90s.

As has been said, good in their time, but now... We've seen at City (more than once) how veteran defenders who were PL quality in their heyday can be cruelly exposed by fleet-footed attackers.

Unfortunately, no one stood still enough for 10minutes for the camera to work...

Joey Barton's dreams of Premier League management....

Pictured: the experienced local scout who told him...

I don't support banning hijabs any more than I support making them compulsory. I support women being able to choose what they wear. Don't you?

I don't know if you noticed, but the link is from the Middle East section of the BBC World website. Where else do you think the country sits? It's hardly South Asia or Central Asia, is it? The "Persian Gulf" washes its shores, just as it does those of Kuwait and the entire east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The Shatt-Al-Arab estuary with Iran on one bank, Iraq in the middle and Kuwait at the far side, is just 120 miles wide at its mouth. Iran may not be part of the Arab world, as a majority Farsi speaking country, but it most certainly is part of the Middle East and it plays an active role in its neighbours' affairs, sponsoring political parties, militia and militant groups in Lebanon, Yemen, Palestine, Libya, Sudan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi and elsewhere. If you want me to "cherry-pick" an Arab-speaking state, take Saudi itself. Women are required to wear a niqab and abaya in public, cannot spend any time with males who are not immediate family and cannot even leave the house without their husband's consent. It's not surprising this is the only country where Christianity is illegal, except for non-Saudi residents. Even Iran has churches, allows Christians to wear crucifix jewellery and possess Bibles. Every year hundreds of women flee Saudi - so much so that the government has now rolled out an app to track their movements. https://mirrorherald.com/saudi-arabia-track-women-movements/ Yes, there are a few who might welcome their restrictive life as "true Islam" or a choice, but I think you'd find most would welcome more choice - even if they chose to wear niqabs.

This lot of now maimed Middle Eastern women would welcome the freedom of choice to not wear hijabs. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-64503873 Amazing, how you go from coming on another team's forum to try to boast about your side's inaugural victory of the season and denigrate our club in the most feeble way possible ['22 years ago you had a chairman who many years before he became a millionaire businessman and joined you, played music on stage for a manufactured pop band'] to trying to excuse the widespread suppression of women's rights across much of the Middle East. What a bizarre corner you've backed yourself into. Par for course for someone whose only defence of a convicted wife-beater is whattoutism.

Another level? What like League One? And Five as in "Division Five"? Wouldn't that be Hot Air's field of expertise??

I feel ashamed to be caught out by a super Bros-fan like yourself, Silvio. I'd only be more embarrassed if I'd claimed Charlton attendances were higher than City's or didn't understand what vulture capitalism meant, or didn't realise that touring musicians are not necessarily part of the band... ?

Outfield players are under exactly the same pressure as keepers are to keep their place in the face of players waiting to claim it, and defenders are pretty much just as "reactive" as keepers - especially centre backs. Yeah, they go up for set pieces, but they have to sweep up what's chucked at them if more forward-sitting players haven't been doing their jobs. Even if you subscribe to the keep a designated #1 as long as possible without change suggestion Schmeichel makes, you need someone half-decent to be able to come on if your first choice is injured, or ill, or suspended.

I doubt they'd have scruples about violent and coercive behaviour towards a female partner. Particularly as he hasn't got a criminal record.

Considering he was a rather handsome guy, probably!