Just been having a look at the boro forum,they all thought they would beat us. However they all said we did a sterling job first half by far the better side. Second half Ben Hamer had a blinder of a game. Glad he is showing his quality,a quality keeper to give fielding a run for his money. The below caught my eye,so I copied and pasted on here. Absolutely stunk of Leeds at home. Didn't play badly (looked shaky at the back in the first half hour), created some chances we should've put away and we've come away with nothing. Some observations of the game: -Stuani out wide does not work. He did his best out there, was very tidy but ultimately too slow into the box for crosses and doesn't have the desired characteristics of a winger in the championship. -We were very static. Against Bolton anyone who wasn't in our back 4 was darting about off the ball looking for space. As the game wore on the only man on the pitch moving any faster than walking pace was the man on the ball. Not good enough. -The disallowed goal (if it was for a high foot) was an utterly ludicrous decision. The Bristol player tries to play a ball just above waist height with his head. Stuani (think it was him that tried the bicy) had his foot nowhere near the player's head. Awful call alongside a few others from the officials today. -Kalas should not play as CB against big, burly forwards. They had 2 today, Kodidijajfbgsojadods-whatever the *** his name is and Wilbraham. Both bullied him and both won almost everything in the air. Kalas is great on the deck but is far too easily bullied by stronger players. -Downing offers more from the wing. Especially when there's no movement off the ball like the majority of this game. He doesn't get close enough to the striker to support him or play off him and it isolated Nugent today. -We as a team are still desperately in need of a quality winger who can run at teams and who has an end product. Wildschut got in behind them so many times in the first half but couldn't create anything, his crosses were woeful. -We didn't defend well at all today. We sat off the ball and didn't press Bristol's attacking players. We were caught out all afternoon for our lack of movement and were extremely fortunate to only concede 1. -Bristol did a very professional job on us. Scored early and defended their lead heroically whilst still looking like they could add to it. They're a better side than many other champo teams despite just having been promoted. The goal they scored was beautiful (think our first against Millwall at home last season, very similar but not quite as flashy). In the second half they were excellent, sitting very deep, pressurising whoever was on the ball into going backwards, clearing the ball way down into our half and forcing us to start again and looking decent on the counter. They'll be more than alright this season.
To be frank if it was harsh,it makes up for the penalty leeds had Wednesday that should not have been given. Keeper never touched him.
Looked like a high foot on Pack. Maybe Karma for Freeman's red? Nice to see us getting some appreciation from Boro fans.
In reality, we're a good side in the Championship. We absolutely have the quality to be in this division, and I can't think of many players that aren't cut out to play at this level. With that being said, the squad we finished bottom with two years ago was also a rock solid side at this level. Many of the players that left us that season have absolutely thrived at the same level. For the first time since Gary Johnson the club is being managed, not coached. This for me is absolutely key. Cotterill is actually our first manager since GJ, and I reckon that Millen, McInnes, and SOD were both mismanaged by the board and the owner. The difference between us then and now is that Cotterill has enough about him to tell his bosses when they are ****ing up. I've liked all of our previous bosses, and I think the board failed them rather than them failing us, but Cotterill has the balls to make his own mark, and while I think we're miles away from competing at the top of this table with Cotterill I reckon we could achieve a playoff finish in the next three years.
Totally agree with this (it would explain why Coppel left so quickly), but feel that if we stay up this season we will impact a top 3 spot in 2016/17.
I think there has been some stern words from SC to his employers,harmony in the ranks,even today he was rattled.
Pretty common knowledge with people going behind his back to sign David James and other interferences
I think the David James thing is a massive myth. David James said himself that he was convinced to sign due to speaking to Coppell on the phone.
Coppel went to Lansdown and asked for 10 million. No proof, but it doesn't take a genius to work it out. The irony is, SL spent a great deal less under Cotterill's instruction last summer and had instant success with it. Its just that this is the figure which has been the going rate for Championship level deals, and its not new. We spent 2 million on Maynard wey back when, and that was a real snip at the time. Its about trusting your manager when he says "I need blahblah millions for the rebuild this month" because Cotts has proved he will use it wisely. And don't piss him off !
