macca155

Have to start from where your strengths lie, from those available. Scienza is the main threat. Armstrong scores in this league, he's all we have. Fellows has been effective Azaz creates chances Jander battles well in midfield. Wood commands the defence Mads has Prem experience Desperately clutching at straws here obviously, as they all have flaws, but you have to start somewhere. McCarthy Mads Wood Quarshie Manning Jander Downes Azaz Fellows Armstrong Scienza Robinson, Matsuki Aribo, and Stephens as identified subs for tiring players in their proper positions. Possibly Edwards for defensive midfield. Above all else manage the game well. Preston are big bullies up front but Wood and Quarshie can handle them, if the midfield cuts off the supply and reacts quicker.

Probably COVID or Flu, they are rampant in the country at the moment. Players are often in close proximity so that's no surprise. Any form of respiratory infection is going to wipe out a pro athlete. It happens but with such a big squad, it should be easily managed. Not anticipating this issue, and getting Aribo/Matsuki on the bench ready to cover is poor management imo.

It's not Jack's fault either. If he had replaced Quarshie for the last 20 mins, that would have been understood. He's played ok in that position, and would have been able to dictate a bit to the other players. As I said before Still probably didn't have anyone else prepared to come.

I cannot even begin to fathom those substitutions. Sure we weren't playing well but 1 0 up is 1 0 up. By tomorrow that would have been an ok performance.... after a whiskey or 3 Blackburn were all at sea, bereft of ideas and the crowd had turned on them. On comes Stewart, ineffective in the last two games for Archer. So an already weakened midfield is under more pressure. Bring on Bragg to support Charles. Then Stephens for Scienza, beggars belief. If Leo was tired, fair enough, replace him with Jay Robinson. How on earth would Jack improve things. Still upset the structure, balance, and morale of the team. It has zero resilience anyway. I think he's lost the dressing room. Players falling for mystery illnesses, strikes me as a convenient excuse, to mask trouble at t'mill. They may be telling Still what they think of him. Good old Jack was probably one of the few who would take the field. We're the hell is Aribo, we need him urgently. I'm really against sacking managers early, it rarely helps (look at our history). However I'm struggling to see how Still can survive that sort of ineptitude.

Now I've got a lot of time for Stephens but that is a horrendous decision. 4 CB and 2 FB against the weakest side in the league. This is Still desperately trying to hang on to a 1 0 win. Not a good look. There's 20 minutes to go for goodness sake.

We've seen this film before .... know how it ends

Frazer, give me strength

This game is terrible, there is an old adage that you can only play what's in front of you, which is true, but don't sink to their level. This is kick and rush pin ball football. A truly dreadful watch

Excellent, and someone other than Armstrong scores. Right now muller them

Game is being played at way too fast a pace. Calm it down and take control.

Most teams are above us in fairness. I am hoping for higher ambitions

If we keep on sacking managers, we'll end up like Watford. I doubt there is a messiah just waiting to be appointed. I can't think of anyone. It would be just another rinse and repeat. He has to be given a chance to turn the corner, if he is capable of it. The next 4 games are an ideal opportunity. Fail that test and there will be a drama.

Not the fans job to manage the team but they know when a player isn't ready. Downs may turn a corner yet, but at the moment he needs to rediscover some form elsewhere. U21s, a loan in January maybe. Once the fans see he can score, they'll probably cut him some slack. Stewart wasn't a figure of fun football wise. His occupation of the medical room was. I wonder what someone like Brian Clough would do right now with our lot.

They did with some gusto. As soon as he started to put a shirt on, chants of 'you don't know what you're doing' rang out., followed by loud boos when he came on. Losing the away fans, who really do have the patience of Saints, is a very bad sign.

Perhaps bypassing or going straight through is a better turn of phrase. My point was that the back 5 and midfield 2, seemed unable to break free of their press. Anyway however it should be phrased, it was shit.

They were targetting Frazer and Edwards right from the start, and overwhelming the midfield. They had done their homework. Wood, THB, and Edwards were trying to plug the gaps by pushing forward. It worked for 20 minutes but City adapted, mistakes set in and they took advantage. They'll always be mistimed tackles and passes in football, City had a fair few themselves. Playing two in midfield just means there is less cover when needed. I should have gone to Aldershot to see the U21s. A better game,and saved myself the emotional trauma and expense.

I was thinking the same, as a business model, there is no way this is sustainable. However they've made some some big sales, so for a while the club is solvent, but what comes next. The squad is ridiculously big, how on earth is Still supposed to manage that many players.

That was terrible, what on earth was Still doing. Frazer was woeful, targeted by City and put under pressure. Mads should have had that slot. 1st half was ok but it was easy to see where the problems were. City are a decent outfit, give them a chance and and they score. Still was absolutely undone by a classic 4 4 2 formation. An impenetrable defence, overrun in midfield, and bullied by their units up front. The 2nd half was terrible, players out of position and then Downs was brought on. Robinson immediately caused them problems, but Fellows was once again playing with his back to the goal. Azaz, Downes, and Aribo cost millions. All three were needed tonight, but not used. Still won't be sacked .... yet. They'll try and tough it out and pray for a win. Otherwise the finger will point at their, not so clever, recruitment. Still has lost the away fans, lots of boos and rumblings tonight. That's never a good sign.

My first time at Ashton Gate and I can't say I'm overconfident. Having said that Bristol City will be wary of Saints. We're all pissed off and pessimistic, but the team is clearly a handful to play against. Better away from home it would seem. With a resilient defence starting to emerge a draw is likely, because we can't bloody score. Mads and Manning in I reckon. Charles looked knackered on Saturday so Downes may get a start. Bring it on, something has to click soon.

Oh this with knobs on, winds me up. If you want to crank up the atmosphere, try winning a home game.

I know people want Still's head already, but part of our problem is SRs appalling management appointments. We appear twice on this list of shame, and that doesn't include the hapless Seles. Another sacking isn't going to help. Swansea aren't shit, they have more points than Saints. That seems mainly by defending well, and grinding out draws. Felt like Still hadn't done his HW, and he failed to manage the game effectively. But let's not rewrite history, the 1st half was great. No complaints there. Pressure was building to overwhelm them in the 2nd half. Easy to complain from the stands but playing 5 defenders against a team camped in their own half was unnecessary. Leaving tired players on too long, and then playing the replacements too deep or too wide just gave Swansea respite, and allowed them to get narky and disrupt the last 10 minutes. The crowd sang 'fuck them up, get into them'. Perhaps Still should have listened.

Armstrong scores in this league but needs a strong player next to him to make room. That isn't Archer (he's Armstrong's back up). Without Stewart you look for possibilities in the squad. Aribo is an obvious solution, not brilliant but he would occupy a defender. Otherwise look for a an out of contract player like Patrick Bamford. Here's the nub though. Spors bought Downs and is clearly insisting that he is on the bench at least. Pride comes before a fall. Spors got some transfers right. Quarshie, Scienza, Jelert, Fellows, Jander. No disgrace in buying a dud, just own it, ship him out asap.

10 games and it is inevitable that our patience is already wearing thin. There was a fair bit that was good today, great build on that. However, there was also some poor game management in and off the pitch. No need to list the issues we can all see it. Nobody won or lost this league 10 games in. Had one of those chances been converted then we'd be having a very different conversation. The margins are very tight. Somehow that team needs to grind out a few wins. That will get some momentum going and things will look a bit more rosy. To do that he will have to drop his principles, with 3 CB. Replace Edwards with Downes and Swansea would have been in an Alamo situation.

What a frustrating match, so many missed chances. some good performances from Charles, Jander, Wood and pleasingly THB. Edwards was iffy in the 1st half but improved. Scienza had the Swansea defender on toast time and time again. Then is swaped to the other side. Plenty of chances created, it wasn't a bad performance, but desperate in front of goal. So slow and aimless in the 2nd half Ridiculous having Downs on the bench. Even in the warm up he looked lethargic and disinterested. Aribo could do that job.

One of the strikers from the U21s should be on the bench. Downs doesn't deserve that spot for the moment