Noble Was Outstanding Today

[PhatWill]

Just got back to Bristol from Blackpool in what has to be said is record time!

I thought Noble today was absolutely flippin' brilliant. He joins Brooker in the bracket of 'deserves to play at a higher level'.

This isn't a dig at Tinnion but I think for his age Noble has considerably more skill and potential than Tinnion ever showed in his career and that to be fair is saying something. Noble is everything that Luke Wilkshire wants to be...

My only worry is that he's bound to attract attention from bigger clubs sooner or later. I honestly think that if we bumble about in this division next season then both him and Brooks will both be off quick snap.

As a team today I thought on the whole we were excellent. Should've won by a couple of goals. Blackpool were admittedly poor but throughout the side we showed the right attitude and level of skill.

Two changes must be made for the Swansea game though - Basso should be dropped, as should Savage and coming in for their places Phillips and pacy striker or Stewart.

Incidentally, special mention to Craig Woodman today who ran Noble close for my man of the match. Orr as well was very good, and I haven't had a good word to say about either of those two this season...

[Guest revkev]

I agree about Noble, but what a stupid booking. The ref had given a free kick against him and noble was walking away without the possibility of a yellow card til the Blackpool player retaliated and got the BOTH booked. Bloody criminal :@

[no1cityfan_tucks]

Just got back to Bristol from Blackpool in what has to be said is record time!

I thought Noble today was absolutely flippin' brilliant. He joins Brooker in the bracket of 'deserves to play at a higher level'.

This isn't a dig at Tinnion but I think for his age Noble has considerably more skill and potential than Tinnion ever showed in his career and that to be fair is saying something. Noble is everything that Luke Wilkshire wants to be...

My only worry is that he's bound to attract attention from bigger clubs sooner or later. I honestly think that if we bumble about in this division next season then both him and Brooks will both be off quick snap.

As a team today I thought on the whole we were excellent. Should've won by a couple of goals. Blackpool were admittedly poor but throughout the side we showed the right attitude and level of skill.

Two changes must be made for the Swansea game though - Basso should be dropped, as should Savage and coming in for their places Phillips and pacy striker or Stewart.

Incidentally, special mention to Craig Woodman today who ran Noble close for my man of the match. Orr as well was very good, and I haven't had a good word to say about either of those two this season...

Got back at 20.00 exactly and thats to Clevedon! Do it quicker???

[Pickle Rick]

Just got back to Bristol from Blackpool in what has to be said is record time!

I thought Noble today was absolutely flippin' brilliant. He joins Brooker in the bracket of 'deserves to play at a higher level'.

This isn't a dig at Tinnion but I think for his age Noble has considerably more skill and potential than Tinnion ever showed in his career and that to be fair is saying something. Noble is everything that Luke Wilkshire wants to be...

My only worry is that he's bound to attract attention from bigger clubs sooner or later. I honestly think that if we bumble about in this division next season then both him and Brooks will both be off quick snap.

As a team today I thought on the whole we were excellent. Should've won by a couple of goals. Blackpool were admittedly poor but throughout the side we showed the right attitude and level of skill.

Two changes must be made for the Swansea game though - Basso should be dropped, as should Savage and coming in for their places Phillips and pacy striker or Stewart.

Incidentally, special mention to Craig Woodman today who ran Noble close for my man of the match. Orr as well was very good, and I haven't had a good word to say about either of those two this season...

Not a dig, but I would like to see Phillips a run in the team again. May play a bit better after a reality check of realising we have someone else to challenge him!

[PhatWill]

Got back at 20.00 exactly and thats to Clevedon! Do it quicker???

Got back 7.50pm to Thornbury all be it. But didn't leave Blackpool till 5.30pm as we popped into McD's for a cheeseburger or two

[Guest revkev]

6.00 to Wigan via the chippy

[Guest HampshireCider]

Not a dig, but I would like to see Phillips a run in the team again. May play a bit better after a reality check of realising we have someone else to challenge him!

i agree at letting phillips back in goal for a run now that he knows he is not the only keeper at the club, hopefully though if he starts against swansea he wont be too shellshocked from the 7-1

good luck to whoever gets the nod anyway!

[Northern Red]

Got back 7.50pm to Thornbury all be it. But didn't leave Blackpool till 5.30pm as we popped into McD's for a cheeseburger or two

Bloody hell, how quick were you driving? I've never done Chester to Bristol in any less than 3 hours.

[cheshire_red]

Noble bossed the midfield after a slowish first ten minutes. His control and distrubution in tight situations is exemplary. Is strong in the tackle and is getting better and better with each match. Dare I suggest that he still doesn't appear to be 100% match fit and when he is..................

Johnson has said that Brooker (who was superb again and many on the Blackpool Rivals board have picked him out as the difference between the two sides) could have had 3, true, so could Savage but he fell over for two and blasted the easiest chance of the game miles over from less than 10 yards. I honestly believe that had Stewart started, as he should have, we would have won that game by 2 or 3 clear goals and therefore have put 6 points between us and the relegation zone.

Edit: I believe Noble's booking was for the foul rather than any reaction to Parker's raising of both hands to him (what does the letter of the Law state?)

[RedTop]

Very unlucky not to win. The good news is that we're creating chances and at least we're drawing games we should have won instead of losing them. We were on top so much that the Blackpool fans spent much of the match getting at their own team. The bad news is that once again we shipped a soft early goal and were playing catch up.

We should have won, but finishing let us down time and again. Ironically, the misses came from more than one perpetrator. Brooker and Cotterill were among those who should have scored, with Savage the worst offender. Brooker took too much time on one in particular where he was clean through on goal.

I was also relieved that there was a little distance between three-year-old RedTopJr and Steve Brooker when Savage failed to make the pass to put Brooker in when they were 2 on 1 in the first half, otherwise she may have learned some new words. In fact, looking at the rage on Brooker's face, I'm not entirely convinced I would not have learned some new words.

More good news in that we scored from a brilliant training field free kick. I don't ever recall us scoring like that. We've let a few in over the years, but unusual well-worked set plays like are something we have rarely tried in the past and never succeeded at, in my memory. It does show that things on the training field are now coming into the game.

The pitch was appalling to play football on, but I was impressed with the way we mixed it up. Yes, we often played long to Brooker and Savage but we also just as often played it on the ground when frankly the pitch condition would have given the players an excuse not to.

Have to agree that Noble was fantastic. Woodman was also very good and I'm puzzled as to why Russell came off with two minutes to go unless he was injured or GJ was looking to give Skuse a sneaky few extra quid in appearance money. Brooker was good but should have got the winner.

Stewart...hmmm...well, as always nice touches but he was on long enough for a chance to impress and whil Savage had his weakest game in a City shirt, I didn't think Stewart came on and looked different class to be honest. There were more chances going begging today for City than in any game I've seen this season and it is disappointing that Stewart did not convert something.

I would not be averse to starting him ahead of Savage on Saturday, but I have to say that I don't think he grabbed his opportunity with both hands today so I'm rather ambivalent about that.

One thing I'd love to know, though. To me, Blackpool looked the worst team we've played this season. Is this because they are, or because we played well enough to make them look that way?

And one final thing that disturbs me. There were far too many so-called City fans shouting foul-mouthed abuse at our players today. Constant aggressive filth through snarling contorted faces aimed at players in City shirts. Okay, Bradley Orr cannot thread a pass through the eye of a needle. We all know that. But I am sick of turning round and seeing groups of 'fans' who so obviously get off on hurling abuse at our own players when they are doing what they can. hell, even Brooker and Noble were getting abuse from the hate mob. This was not a performance where the players gave less than 100 per cent. But you would not have known it to hear the abuse coming from sections of our own crowd. This was a team that needed backing and encouragement today, and indeed deserved it. They got nothing of the sort from some, and I felt ashamed to be part of the same crowd as them.

[PhatWill]

Bloody hell, how quick were you driving?

It's called a 2 litre Mercedes Benz engine

[PhatWill]

Very unlucky not to win. The good news is that we're creating chances and at least we're drawing games we should have won instead of losing them. We were on top so much that the Blackpool fans spent much of the match getting at their own team. The bad news is that once again we shipped a soft early goal and were playing catch up.

We should have won, but finishing let us down time and again. Ironically, the misses came from more than one perpetrator. Brooker and Cotterill were among those who should have scored, with Savage the worst offender. Brooker took too much time on one in particular where he was clean through on goal.

The distribution of some of Blackpool's players was abysmal, they do look like a shocking side. Keith Southern played very well, he has a great engine and gets box to box - if they go down he's a player I'd look at signing hopefully on the cheap. Thought Joseph did well as did Butler but then and again we didn't have any pace to frighten them.

The pitch was appalling to play football on, but I was impressed with the way we mixed it up. Yes, we often played long to Brooker and Savage but we also just as often played it on the ground when frankly the pitch condition would have given the players an excuse not to.

Have to agree that Noble was fantastic. Woodman was also very good and I'm puzzled as to why Russell came off with two minutes to go unless he was injured or GJ was looking to give Skuse a sneaky few extra quid in appearance money. Brooker was good but should have got the winner.

The pitch was a disgrace, might as well of gone down and played on the beach. IMO they should be punished for it in fact, I can't believe they have a valid reason for the pitch being so awful. I think by bringing Skuse on, Johnson was shoring up the midfield for the final few minutes.

I would not be averse to starting him ahead of Savage on Saturday, but I have to say that I don't think he grabbed his opportunity with both hands today so I'm rather ambivalent about that.

Agree. I would probably go with Stewart though...

One thing I'd love to know, though. To me, Blackpool looked the worst team we've played this season. Is this because they are, or because we played well enough to make them look that way?

They were very poor, and I can't believe we haven't beaten them this season - I think we were 1-0 up at Ashton Gate till they equalised late on?? We did look good though and created enough chances to win. And you're right, it wasn't only Savage guilty of missing them but Brooker too.

And one final thing that disturbs me. There were far too many so-called City fans shouting foul-mouthed abuse at our players today.

Yes, Murray got some as well which suprised me. Shame we have fans like that, the away stand was very close to the pitch so they could hear everything I'd imagine.

[Guest]

Got back at 20.00 exactly and thats to Clevedon! Do it quicker???

Got back to Portishead by 19.48, and stopped for Petrol on the way

The pitch was a disgrace, might as well of gone down and played on the beach. IMO they should be punished for it in fact, I can't believe they have a valid reason for the pitch being so awful.

Apparently according to Cheshire Red, they used the wrong seed in the summer and the roots are too short.

It just ties in with the rest of the ground really. Pathetic

[Robbored]

Noble has been the difference during the last 9 games.Its been said before but he's a real find and a class player.What I like about him is his tackling and distribution which he goes about in an almost unnoticed manner.He also has very quick feet and a good engine.I wonder how long it will be before he gets a MoM award?

This time next season City might have a problem holding onto him

[RedTauntonian]

Noble has been quality since he has came in, and he has been the one player for me that has made a difference, he is a wonderfull passer of the ball, and can put the ball over the top perfectly too. Looks like he is the midfielder that we needed in the middle, still not convinced that Russell is the right player to play beside him though.

[tin]

Got back 7.50pm to Thornbury all be it. But didn't leave Blackpool till 5.30pm as we popped into McD's for a cheeseburger or two

Back at Portishead by 8pm after you dropped me off at Almondsbury Will! Think that's called time travel!

Noble and Woody were superb yesterday. Just a shame that another individual error early on set us chasing the game again. Done enough to win the game IMO.

[RedTop]

It was extremely frustrating to see Bas Savage waste those chances and if those chances had fallen at the feet of Stewart or Brooker either would have scored.

As frustrating as it was, I don't think you can honestly say that given Brooker was gifted the easiest chance of the match, one on one against the keeper, but hesitated and failed to convert. It was Bas's least effective game in a City shirt. But as I said earlier, Stewart was given time to make his mark and didn't manage it either. We do need a new striker. I don't think Gillespie is the answer either. Lets hope GJ can make another find in the class of Noble to fill the front line.

[Keep the Faith]

I think that Alex Russell also deserves considerable praise for his performance on saturday. He made a lot of tackles and did a very good job in generally breaking up the play. We have needed a player like this since Tommy left and I'm very happy that we've found one. He complements excellent creative play of noble, who is a class above.