beaverface

I think it's apparent that City fans want winning football, and a decent style to boot, and no matter how much we try to buy into what Manning has been doing, the NP saga is just too raw still.

It's bubbling away just under the surface, and no matter how many times I try to move on, I keep thinking back to what NP could've delivered for us.

Yes it wasn't the sexiest of football at times, but we knew it was a rebuilding exercise, he spoke honestly, and we could (by and large) see the bigger picture, he just needed to be backed towards the end of his regime, and that's where it's all started to unravel.

How the club removed NP from his position cut deep, and it's gonna be a while for some to forgive or even actually forgive full stop.

I'd like us to all out attacking (within reason) and spring a surprise on Oxford by lining up 4132.

Play two up top, maybe even start Cornick on the left of the three.

I'm not advocating this, but if the rules were changed so that you could only make n  amount of passes in your own half or you can only hold onto the ball in your half for 1 minute, you'd probably see a lot more long ball or kick and press. Basically it would turn into a basketball style match.

Not my cup of tea, but would up the excitement levels one would think !!

1 hour ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Just on another note. How full did the South Stand look from either side stand? In my row, the 5 seats next to me that , last season, were taken as Season cards by a lad on his own who admitted he sits in the Dolman with his mates , and only joins us for the sell outs and a father with 4 kids, some of whom hardly came, were obviously not renewed due the price hike, and were sold to 5 guys as matchday tickets. Hard to tell if it looked any more full than normal after the pricing initiative to get more POTD.

I sit in the back row of block 22. Normally there are easily blocks of 2,3,4 seats empty in the rows in front of me.

However yesterday I think there was literally the one or two empty odd seats.

7 minutes ago, Natchfever said:

I wonder if West Ham were in the loop?

Odd place to send Earthy if he needs game time with grown ups now unless hes more versatile ?

Ahh, I expect West Ham know about our injury record for new signings, so Earthy will be a shoe in for when Twine goes off injured  !!!

8 minutes ago, JBFC II said:

A couple of days ago you said you wanted to wait 10 games before making any predictions about the season, does Twine really impact things that much?

Even with him I don't think we have the depth or quality in key areas to mount a serious play off challenge, looking at some of the other sides who will be there and there abouts I'm not sure we'll have enough, even if we've strengthened from last year

I think we need to wait 10 games for LM to find his best side. Probably going to be a lot of up's and down's during that period. However, after such a point, I think we really need to start seeing positive results. As we were told last season, they expected last seasons squad to be challenging the top half the table, so with the players LM has, that has to be the long term ambition this season.

On the official site now

2 minutes ago, JAWS said:

Playing one up top is fine if the one up top is a prolific goal scorer and also the number 10 weighs in with a decent amount plus the service is good. 

I don't see any of those at the minute.

...and yet playing two up top can get the best out of players we already have.

Think of Andi Weiman having a great season when played up top, same with Chris Martin and Semenyo. People are saying Cornick has his best days next to a target man at Luton.

Sometimes the partnerships is greater sum of the whole parts compared to the ability of individuals.

Reading all the above comments, the main point is that we currently play with one up front.

Bit radical this, but from time to time, I'd like us to revert from a 4-2-3-1 formation, and maybe even push the boat out and play 4-1-3-2 !!!

I know - fancy playing two up top !!! But Manning seems a stickler for keeping one up top, although I would say he has tried 2 on the rare occasions (just not with this current batch of players)

We could even go 4-4-2 if we get the right type of winger in or Hirakawa is the business on the wing !

Black Arabs, Bristol Rovers, Bath Rovers......now Newport Rovers

Sitting in the South Stand, the middle third of the pitch running lengthways was probably the perfect brightness. Looking to the Lansdown side it was slightly dimmer but still noticeably different to the middle third, and the Dolman side of the pitch was in shadows...very poorly lit.

Just now, Frenchay Red said:

They will struggle to form a partnership if there is only one them on the pitch at any time.

Agreed, I would've loved us to go proper old school two up front. Instead of taking Fally off, I would've stuck Armstrong next to him, and then later on, if need be allow Cornick to make it three striker forward line.

On another note, we really need to practice corners as aside from the final corner in the last minute, we don't look threatening from them in the slightest. What's this obsession with kicking high to the back post where we inevitably push someone in the back?!

Think they need to adjust the floodlights on the Dolman side. Bit shadowy over there!

I could easily pick up on positives and negatives from that opening game, however I've boiled it down to one question for me...

Who would I rather be after Saturdays match? A Hull City fan or Bristol City fan?

I'll probably ask myself the same question after each of the next 8 or 9 games.

I have concerns on how we'd cope going a goal behind, but other that, it was disappointing to draw, but right now  I'd much rather be a Bristol City fan than Hull City fan based on that match.

I'm trying to remain optimistic for the upcoming season, however my optimism isn't based on us improving our front line with proven goalscorers, but more about the defensive side of the game.

It looks like, if we're going to get any kind of success this season, it will be built on a solid defense and winning games by one goal rather than scoring shed loads. Think of Wigan when they went up under Paul Jewell - they seemed the masters of 1 nil wins (or that's what I recall)

If we follow that philosophy and get some momentum, we may do ok this season, however a concern of mine would be if we're down near the bottom of the table post January and we don't have the goals in the side and our team is leaking goals also.

I know I've described football in a nutshell there i.e. score more goals that you concede, otherwise you'll be dragged into relegation, but i think the point I'm trying to make is that we'll be a lot more reliant on keeping things tight rather than outscoring an opponent.

Proof of the pudding will be when we need to chase a game after going 1 down.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13683065/Man-United-make-plans-replace-Old-Trafford-brand-new-100-000-seater-stadium.html

Another example of the Government looking to prop up Manchester/Northen facilities with improved transport.

15 minutes ago, phantom said:

I am 99% sure that isn't true, it has certainly been specified by the club as being a reason

The CCTV is used for concerts for exactly the same reason as football and rugby

I have a recollection that I queried why the lights were off back when Take That first played at Ashton Gate, and the reason was something along the lines of....

During an emergency the main lights of the concert stage would light the stadium, whereas during a night football match you don't have the concert lights to do the same thing.

IMO I think it's all baloney to keep the cameras on the football fans, and nothing to do with safety.

For years we had matches in reduced lights and likewise at the cinema you have no lights until the film is over or an emergency occurs. No different to football in my opinion.

I love evening matches with the stand lights reduced, but ive given up questioning it as the club clearly don't want it to happen.

Ps. Happy for someone to dig out my past post and answer from the club if they want. I think it may have in the Ask Jerry section of this forum.

11 hours ago, Ronnie Sinclair said:

Somebody at Cardiff is obviously a Tetris fan !!

Just now, Kid in the Riot said:

Submitted with the planning application were the required air, noise, dust reports which all showed their would be no adverse impact on the future residents of the site. The council agreed with these assessments.

So why should Steve pay ETM £1 million for a roof when all his own consultants, and council officers, do not think there is an issue? 

Yep, you're right..........his choice.

47 minutes ago, Monkeh said:

Why should he pay for the roof?

You don't pay to repair your neighbours roof

Actually some do!

I've had neighbours offer to build walls, fences, driveways to help improve the boundary. I've also had neighbours do the pointing on our shared chimney breast. The point I'm making, is that sometimes if you want something, you need to compromise or take a small hit.

I just don't get this philanthropist angle that people suggest SL is doing all this for the good of Joe Public - IMO everything SL does, is for himself and his families benefit, which happens to leave a bit of a legacy on the side. I bet SL wouldn't be leaving a legacy if there wasn't a few quid in it for himself.

1 hour ago, Wedontplayinblue said:

If you have enough money, does it matter if it isn’t financially viable ?

As your last paragraph stays, he wants a return on this, it’s not for the glory of Bristol as such. 

I said it months ago, if SL really wanted to push the development through, he had the means to placate ETM, but stuck his heels in, and refused to pay for the roof, even though in the outset he\they offered to help ETM. SL talks about wanting to leave a legacy, but he's not operating in a philanthropist manner, but purely about churning that money pot over and over again.

I'm pretty sure he could probably cover the costs of the SQ development without the housing if he chose to, but he wants the money cow to keep topping his bank account up.

Unless there's something we don't know about, he has plenty of money to keep him comfortable for the rest of his days, and indeed his descendants after he's long gone.

19 minutes ago, petehinton said:

No homage to the suspension bridge on the away kit then. Sad to see….

Ahh, but the round collar is an homage to the port holes on the SS Great Britain !!

28 minutes ago, Red Army 75 said:

 

I don't understand why they've included the Bristol Rovers player? What's that gotta do with City.

2 hours ago, bcfcredandwhite said:

I would say that Italia 90 was my favourite of all the tournaments I’ve seen England play in. I loved it - and the song ‘Nessun Dorma’ sung by Pavarotti still makes my hair stand on end. So powerful - and I am not even an opera fan. 
The Italians got absolutely everything spot on as hosts. 
If only that stupid deflection off Walker hadn’t gone in - soo unlucky. 
 

 

I tend to blame Shilton for that goal. He couldn't even get his fat feet off the ground to jump and try and tip the ball over. Would've preferred Chris Woods in goal as I thought Shilton was past it.

Could be that I hold a grudge against his for Cheesley though !!

1 hour ago, 38MC said:

But then before the start of that season we had sold Webster and Kelly so there was the money coming in. 

True, and you've kind of backed up the point I was trying to make. We get the one big present at Christmas, and that's it, and I know it sounds greedy, but in order to push up the league you need a number of big signings and admittedly a fair wind.

A one "big" signing mixed with some other peripheral\ok players ain't gonna do it unless you have a wonder coaching team in place......................you never know !!!