Match Day Thread Brizzle City vs Saints, Tues 21st October, 20:00

Disappointing night, could have been different if Archer had scored when he was one on one with the keeper(I was behind the goal in the home stand) appalling miss, or if Scienza’s shot on goal had gone in and not hit the bar early in the second half.
In the second half there were no players in the defensive half, Bristol found it too easy to break away and create havoc, the game reminds me a little of the last game at Ashton Gate a couple of years ago, different manager same problems.

 

On another note, l would’ve liked to have met those of you that were there in the concourse, but when l tried to message, my phone couldn’t load anything, maybe next year!

 

Okay, I've slept on it and have thoughts.

As you lot know, I veer more toward the trying to see what the issues are and find a solution/excuse for what's going on, which is largely (and correctly) seen as being on the positive side of the bargain.

But...now...

I haven't gone full Lincs, but my veer has swerved a bit and my inclination is headed swiftly toward the "oh ****, we're ****ed" rather than the "we can turn this round", and that's been accelerated somewhat by Still's post-match comments about the players not questioning themselves enough and "making comments".

The major risk of appointing a 32 year old manager into the championship straight off the bat at a high pressure club (in terms of expectations) is that he's a 32 year old manager. I'm afraid that feels like it's come back to bite us. I don't think he's a bad bloke, or even necessarily a bad manager, but he needed to earn his spurs over here at somewhere like, I dunno, Swansea or Charlton, not at a club that's aching from last season yet still has ambitions of promotion. We needed (and need) a steady hand at the tiller and someone who people and players 'know'. I realise a lot of you have been saying that for a while, and yep, apologies, I'm beginning to think you were right all along. Hugely unlikely, but if we could find enough money down the back of the sofa to tempt Ange to come and rebuild his reputation a bit over with us (because ultimately we have a very good squad, bar a striker, so it's not the worst proposition) then I think he'd be a lot of fun for both us and the players.

Can Still turn it around? Seems very difficult, but not impossible. Ironically enough, we've tried to employ a 'pragmatic' manager not wedded to one principle, but what I think he needs to do now is actually stick with his principles that he mentioned in the first place, which was to play 4-2-3-1 in a high energy style. Yes, it didn't work when we tried it once, but he asked for the players to be bought for that system, then hasn't played it. Something drastic needs to occur, so he may as well go all-in on his preferred system and play a Hail Mary on that, or he won't be around for much longer.

Is this on SR? Yes, absolutely. They're incredibly frustrating, because I can always largely see the logic of what they're trying to do, but they do have a habit of trying to be far too smart about it, and nearly always fall flat on their face. Spors has been an improvement, and I think he's bought some very good players, but he's also not addressed the two absolutely glaring problems in the squad, other than again trying to be too clever with Downs, who clearly isn't ready.

So yeah, I'm at final tether stage. The only proviso being that I think the league is a lot more competitive than we may have been thinking, as proven by all the relegated teams having a real struggle so far. But that's no excuse now, we need to turn things around, and I think he needs to go all in on what he says he wants to do up until the international break. If it's not sorted by then, it's bye bye. If the players genuinely don't respect him, that may need to be sooner.

 

What makes me laugh about that, is he doesn't even score goals.

"He'll score a goal for me" ... when?

(Tbf, I had the same minor annoyance when it was such about Fernandes as well)

 

Ah, you’ll be surprised.

 

The meltdown will be something else if we lose that one.

Be almost worth it

 

Good post but really don't think Ange is what we need. Seems like another appointment which could backfire drastically.

I've touched on a lot of similar points in the Still fred.

 

Same as we've nicked the 'sway' song that everyone is singing for Tom Fellows and mention him scoring goals in it when he's not a goal scorer.

 

that wouldn’t be much tho would it. Surely you can appreciate his @Ronnie Hotdog (MLsfc) point.

 

Yeah, I'm just trying to think of what options are out there "Hi Xavi, now I know this might not always be what you dreamt of, but..."

The other thing to note - we have had whatever the opposite of the luck of the Irish is in the last few games, but there comes a point where you can't use that as an excuse any longer. It becomes a mentality thing. Particularly when we have been unlucky, you have to just go again, not just basically go into a sulk. And that mentality is on the manager to change, which makes me think a very young guy isn't the answer, sadly.

Go on Will. Prove me wrong (please).

 

??? Mods, thread ban please, this sounds way too much of a sensible reasoned post......


Results have been terrible and most performances have been way below par and us long suffering supporters just want a glimmer of hope that we can put this **** behind us and enjoy football again.

We absolutely dominated Swansea and in most parts controlled last nights game. Another case of missed chances and rotten luck.

I still think 11 games isn't enough to judge Still and really want him to succeed but it is a results business and the pressure is really on.

 

Wasn't there some noise around Marco Rose one of the last many times we were looking for someone? May have been in the PL mind you, but it's a possible. Hipster for SR, whilst also being quite good.

I'm ironically (because he's only 34 himself) still annoyed about Rohl going to Rangers.

 

Didn't realise Roerslev was injured as well.

Maybe there's something to that running over a cat thing...

 

Tell you what we should do......



Just sing about Gabbiadini instead

 

Sounds like I did the best option, fell asleep at 7 ….and missed the whole match.

 

I understand the frustration, of course. But the worst thing fans can do - in my opinion - is nothing. Let's not pretend that we are a fan base unfamiliar to disappointment and despair. I don't understand where the entitlement comes from. If anything, fans need to be more vocal at times like these.

But our fans these days can't even read the room. Last night they were singing about ex-players as though we were winning and times are good etc. Couldn't understand it. Should have been singing 'One nil, and we f*cked it up', 'Or, Will Still, your football is sh*te', just to let the club know that we're not happy. But we're a complete walkover as a fanbase. Neither Still nor the players even came to applaud us at the end. You even risk getting told off by other fans if you boo.

 

The beginning of our decade of decline more or less coincided with some of our 'fans' booing Claude Puel's team on their lap of appreciation, iirc.

 

Now, that was an entitled fanbase. 8th place and a cup final, but wasn't good enough for some of us.

(not me and the majority on ehre, however, I was disgusted by that)

 

Yes, McCarthy is so much better than Bazunu. He literally jumped out of the way of the ball!