Red-Robbo

Perhaps I didn't explain it well, H. In short, me - I don't boo. Don't see the point. During a game especially, it negatively impacts players. HOWEVER, I do defend the right of those who do. It's OUR club. Not Lansdown or the players, for most of whom, it's just a job and they'll have many more clubs in their career. We, the fans, will be here after they've gone, after Pearson, after Lansdown. For this reason, I'm not going to slag folk off for wanting the best at their club; their passion; a natural reaction to the agony of us playing poorly. But, as I say, it doesn't exactly help things along if you do it mid-game or barrack a struggling player. I think that's where we agree.

What I've heard as well. A clever guy, and cultured, not just in the footballing sense.

"You're so shit you must be Aldershot!" was the chant of choice from that era.

38 in that World Cup apparently, and 42 when he had his last international cap. Oh, and his name was actually Roger Miller it seems. Strange, but true.

Well, maybe Gareth Ainsworth ?

Our first since that never forgotten day at home to Gainsborough Trinity. Or was it New Brighton Tower?

Depends, doesn't it, how the injury and long period out affects him. Some players are never as good again. Some have even come back better however. ?

People say stuff like, 'oh he comes from Blackpool, he'll favour the northern club' but actually, coming from there, he's more likely to hate Preston.

Billy Wedlock wasn't it?

Perhaps he had to go out on loan to develop his game and get time in first team football? Like most young players do. I doubt Pearson takes such decisions based entirely on crowd reaction in one game. Ultimately, young players, like older players, get judged on performance and if someone is having a 'mare, it doesn't matter if they've played one game for us or 500, there will be calls to hook them off. We can't afford passengers and we can't afford to drop points, plus it can do players' confidence more harm to leave them on field to make potentially more mistakes, than the humiliation of being subbed will. However, I'll agree with you that you can't make judgement on players' effectiveness - any age of player - based on one or two games, particularly if they are cameo performances. Shades of the famous "Matt Smith is Awful" post, just before he helped turn our season around. In young players, there is a developmental arc that they are on, which means, as you say, patience is needed and they may be a better player next season than they were this one. I'll also agree that booing and heckling individual players is unhelpful and unfair. It's a team game, and the manager sends them out and tells them what to do. I'm not a fan generally of City supporters ever booing City players. That said, if a team selection and performance isn't working, it's quite normal for the crowd to let the manager know they can see this and hope he changes things around. Managers can be stubborn creatures and loathe sometimes to see what's happening right in front of them, because their plans worked out so fine in training or on paper. As supporters, we pay our money, and we have the right to occasionally show disquiet at how things are going.

Fans who do not realise that time waits for no man and none of us are the guys we were once. Forwards in their 30s in particular can either ride the decline in pace and develop more canny ways of operating, or show a sharp decline in effectiveness.

That Mehmeti has some Championship experience, presumably?

8.3 Tilsons.

I temporarily retired from attending games.

I do, but sadly it's Neville Southall's. It all shows a lack of judgement from Hummel in appointing Elite Sports as their sole contracted distributor for most of their English clubs. A cursory Google would dig up some very damaging court cases and dubious sounding business dealings for Elite, a company that was a small sports shop in Hertfordshire 15 years ago.

What's Lansdown getting in return for that? Hardly like they could bid for any of our first team, is it?

"Manchester City will play a massively strengthened chequebook, which is the only reason its supporters think they can now give it the large one...."

Manchester?

Did I imagine it, or has Klose expressed an interest in going into coaching?

Well he's going a top-flight club, albeit a struggling one. Can't blame him. He wants to get game time. I think those that said in the right sort of set-up he'd thrive and show his class, are right. We've never really had that here. Our systems haven't suited. It may be that English league football full-stop doesn't suit him. I wish him well, because if the report is correct, we aren't going to be seeing him again.

Ah right. I went down the boozer last night. I've abandoned any hope of there being much coverage of City games on mainstream telly.

Be fair. He didn't specify which premier league.

I think that counts as a "cruel and unusual punishment"...

If it's the website one, they are written by PA Sports. Long gone are the days the BBC could afford to employ local stringers at every league or cup game.

Indeedy. Antoine's something of a battering ram and could hold off challenges better than anyone else we had up front. Sam has the vision and pace to be a perfect poacher, playing off the shoulder of the last defender. You'd hate to face him if you were an opponent. So hard to mark.