The season has got off to a promising start and now we have to deal with possible long term layoffs due to injuries to Cuningham and Skuse so the question I ask of you is " are you happy with our start and do you believe that we have the personnel on board to weather the potential storm and keep our current form". I still see glaring errors in certain areas of the pitch and like a lot of others believe we still need a dominant force to be added to the roster. We probably, for various reasons, missed a possibilty during the transfer window but we have to trust Derek's acumen and footballing knowledge to realise that the right player at the rght price was not available under our restricted budget constraints. So what lies in the near future, do we continue on the road to consistency under Derek's guidance or do we expect more such as the signing of that often mentioned midfield or defensive general. Many positives are on view these days and I really do believe that the team has progressed under our new manager and yet I still think there is room for improvement, how about you?
I agree that there is room for improvement and there always will be. We definitely need a dominant centre back but We have a different mentality now in the dressing room. A team that wont lie down and die at the drop of a hat! I believe that the game against Leeds will be a massive test, Becchio is on fire and our CM partnership is struggling to say the least. I will settle for a point next week, but should we get a win I will move on to a different level of belief.
Got to agree with Banksy We need a new centre back but I think I'm different to most as I think we need someone to guide James Wilson so I would like a left sided centre back. Worried about the midfield as I think we need an attacking version of Skuse even though I think we already have one in Steve Davies. But Del knows better than me. Goalkeeper is sorted we all thought Deano was going to be number one, but Heaton is fantastic I know he has not kept a clean sheet, but as my wife says its not him it's the defence not dealing with some text book stuff (and she's a girl) Saturday's game is a test for the players but I have a sneaky feeling we will win because we have adapted the Kevin Keegan approach we will score more than you approach. Players believe so we have to start. We will get beaten probably more often this year than not but the improvement has started. Teams will be starting to fear us and that means we are waking up. My concerns believe it or not is if we carry on improving someone will spot Del and then we will have the Everytime a prem manager goes we get worried. Good problem to have I suppose but hope he stays and finishes the revolution.
"Good problem to have I suppose but hope he stays and finishes the revolution" Yeah thats one of my worries too.. one of my other worries, that your wife was 'a girl' has been sorted out, So I am halfway home.
Simply put we are a million miles from last years team,yes a macmanus Type centre half would be nice,but Del has turned us around. If we are to progress Del is going to have people watch him,but I hope he will see the massive potential here and follow the job through. I really believe we will beat Leeds next week,very confident I am,I must say I have not felt as good about my team than the year we hit the playoffs under GJ.
This sounds totally wrong,I just love my team and I want them to win,3-1 I think but I'm no expert,I just want them to stuff Leeds but it will be hard....
No your post is not negative,far from it,I just commented that I really believe we could do something this year,I do reckon that domineering centre half is a must after the Blackburn game,No panic Del knows Carey and Fonts will not face a better front two than Blackburns this year.i think he will pair them back up for the Leeds game.
DM has bought well (the sign of a good manager) Early days but the team has goals in it - a million miles from last year Perhaps we are a big right sided centre half away from being very good.
Of course we can still improve all through the entire squad. We're still lacking in top Championship quality in a couple or three positions. BUT what a transformation in the performance and commitment levels since Derek McInnes and Doc arrived here. Players are obviously being allowed to express themselves and are enjoying their football again after three or four turgid years when the whole club lost it's way. I'm sure we will recruit to fill the gaps but only when better players and better personalities are available at the right price/cost. We're doing alright at present so no need to get in a loanee or two who may only go through the motions, just for the sake of it. Tactically aware, there are some seriously good man management skills within the "off the field" team. DMc and Doc are the visible ones but what sort of influence the others must be bringing. Apart from the injuries to Greg and Cole, we are playing with a settled squad; Is that due to physio McBride teaching players how to get fit enough for the rigours of this level of football. What is Jimmy McIntyres role? Another pair of experienced eyes to assess opposition tactics and more importantly weaknesses? Is Scotty Murray's bubbly personality keeping spirits up in the dressing room? The change in performance is there for us all to see on the pitch. But it's the hidden team of professionals who have replaced the "jobs for old boys" off the field that are also turning BCFC into a club hat is beginning to command respect not only among it's own followers but probably in the Championship as a whole. I'm not religious but if I was I'd be praying every week that DMc is in it for the long haul here at City and not just using us as a handy stepping stone to a quick jump to the Premier.
Doing ok. Seen some very good football and some very poor football and more importantly some very dull football at a couple of away games. I prefer losing in a attacking 4-4-2 v losing in dull as **** 4-5-1 like last season. Won't be getting giddy about it or calling for x ,y and zee. Centre half if he CAN play would be a bonus. A centre half who can't pass a ball will just put more pressure on a midfield whose ball renention can be poor and who can barely defend. City concede a lot of goals because the opposition pour through midfield and runners are not tracked into the box. A centre half wont change that. Carey starts when fit he is the best defender, best orgainser and can pass the ball v the rest. Players in have to be right v lots of bodies in squad like the past. Progress appears to being made but gates are static and away support in numbers still very low where performances are hit and miss and have had fans thinking they are still not putting 100% into it. long term job to build it up.
Thank goodness for that...we know which ways your sail is set! WE are in a pond, in the pond are loads of different fish and cannibalilistic larvae...Early in the year we were spawned and during the summer we evolved to tadpoles, the state of flux we are now in is we are now developing our limbs we are at a stage where some have been devoured but those that remain are the survivors...their main aim in life to get out of the pond and into the Lake..... Is 10 games enough to assess our wellbeing? I think not, possibly 15 or 16...the reason is and each to their own some adopt the attitude as long as we keep winning OR I have faith in the management EVEN with luck we might get a top ????? finish......the reason is......myself well I like to look at the wider pictures. Brighton are top brilliant, but the more deserving teams are the ones just below, Blackburn have on paper attained their position by better results, Brighton are doing what you have to...mop up teams in the bottom 8 - 12. ONE OR 2 HAVE SAID it is going to be tight division this season, but thats said every season. The top 9 teams have had 9 draws in 61 games and won 34 so a good basis of promotion points would be 91 and again in certain areas it will be tight. After the Leicester game we need to be 14+ points preferrably 16+ then after the Charlton game on 23 -26 pts, the important part of our season is the safety zone 48 pts plus hopefully before game 31............ PS used limbs as opposed to legs as we all know tadpoles develop 2 back legs then 2 front ones ..footballers tend to have 2 legs and 2 arms, although some may have 2 left feet or the hand of god!
Watching from afar, it seems that most on this board are "glass half full" now whereas last season the glass was way less than half empty. DM has turned the tide and we should be a team that other teams worry about this year. Everyone is of the opinion that we need a dominant center back and hopefully this will happen soon as we continue to see goals gifted to the opposition. As much as I detest John Terry, it's a leader in his mould that we need... just not him as we don't want the players' WAGS straying to his chavish charm! There's a real thin line between success and failure in this division and we appear not too far away from the former.
Well I was going to say we are a mid to lower table championship team at the moment, but a new Cb and a midfielder could well lift us up to a top half team. BUT.....after reading Johngallyfans post I not so sure now if we are (tad)poles away from the top half teams or going to leap(frog) those above us soon. I will stick with middle to lower team!
Most of you know my opinion on where we are and where we are headed but for the record and as others have said, I think that we have a quality management team in place and the squad has been massively improved. Don't forget, we still have players in Morris, Anderson and Davies that we haven't even really seen much of yet. I really do believe that a large percentage of this game is all about the mentality of the team and the group as a whole and here, DM has bought in players with a hunger and an appetite for success, in a way, the same as GJ but with mostly much better players. It is clear that he is stamping his mark, his winning mentality on the squad and he is ever so gradually turning us back into a proper football club. Likewise, with the "old" players who have stayed, it is almost as if they have been reprogrammed from the previous mentality, Cole was the first one who the penny really dropped with towards the end of last season and his performances were a revelation AND, I expect the same from the others who stayed as they know that it's either that or DM will get someone else who can do the job he expects of them. My old boss used to love his sayings and in this case, the old one about "doing the average is what keeps the average down" has been well and truely dispatched and whilst we are far from the finished article, if we can go on a bit of a run, I expect confidence and results to improve as the team gels. Some say mid to lower table, some say top 10. Me, I say that if we do develop that all important momentum and are somewhere mid table or above at Christmas, I expect better things than most from our beloved team than most and I really do believe that with the addition of a FOOTBALLING centre half, we could do something this year...
Ŵ Yes agree with this we are a smidgen away from a top six team. Very confident in our management team.
Well dont get that far nowadays every couple of months might get up to 12 pts of Butcombe but never pissed, think the last time was about 1979 when I had 8 different homemade schnapps and about 6 stiens of lager and 1/3rd of a bottle of peach brandy..home made! Since then got close in Ireland on a dozen Murphy's everyone bought a round and there was 16 of us,and 4 double rums... but hey ho even when not intoxicated i can still be a laugh!!! even spawned a few jokes in my time!
