Badger

Bit of a contrast to Strachan ball juggling on the touchline when it went out of play once.

Is that such a surprise ?

Are they the short skirted cheerleaders who drop the pom poms and each other in the pitchside rituals before the game ?

I recall Hoddle raved about him whilst he was at Saints.

Plus two good saves from Scienza first half.

Might depend what league we’re in.

Question for those criticising goalkeeper performances -and NOT Bazunu specific. If you’re a Birmingham fan do you come away from yesterday raging about their GK and conceding the second, or praising him for preventing it being 5 or 6 ?

Also credit to Bazunu for his impromptu save with his feet in the second half from a deflected shot. Good reflex and thinking. The other side of that coin though is that in the ground I thought ‘thank Christ it took a deflection and he didn’t have to use his hands’.

I’m by no means one of Bazunu’s fans but certainly at the match I didn’t think he was at fault for their goal yesterday. It was accurate and struck with power, sometimes you have to give credit to the opposition. I haven’t seen the goal on highlights though, so perhaps someone will point out his positioning, or slow moving on his feet, but from the ground it didn’t look one to pin on him.

Might also add Channon being given a free transfer from his second stint at the club. He carried on playing for a couple of seasons after. Won the League Cup at Norwich. I doubt we’d have released him had we known Keegan was intent on leaving later that summer.

Thought provoking thread. For me, going back years, Chris Nichol as manager. I and many others thought he’d taken us as far as he could, and perhaps he was holding the club back. No one of course ever imagined how it could rapidly go downhill and also give up on playing style when Branfoot was appointed.

Think you’re probably right. I’m surprised some are enthused by his performance yesterday. In fairness he did bring a bit of needle to the game from a local West Midlands grievance and more willingness to run than often seen but no surprise he ballsed up his decent chance which his pace had helped create. Didn’t do enough to take himself out of the ‘waste of money, waste of space’ category in my book.

I’d expect a bit more for the money we spent, than his only redeeming feature being “better option off the bench than Downs”.

Isn’t that a reflection on the players and subs he has available to him rather than Tonda ? Although bringing Aribo on is a very poor choice after last week

Played some great stuff at times. Some of the Scienza, AA, Azaz, Jander and Fellows play exceptional. Fellows unlucky hitting the bar but then seemed to snatch at his chances later. Unfortuately the subs made us weaker with each introduction. That’s down to the squad recruitment by others rather than TE.

I think that lungeing tackle came from his not controlling a ball when it came to him. He then appeared to chase it recklessly and go in for a challenge. At the time expected a red card to come out.

Hope it’s not a re-enactment of Rorkes Drift with Bazunu the last man standing to repel them.

Have been weighing this up. This wasn’t the appointment most expected or wanted when we eventually got rid of Ginger (a few weeks too late in my book). Having got shot of a hapless inexperienced and young manager with little credibility in the English game we appoint someone even younger. Very Spor(t)s Republic. Act of lunacy or inspired choice ? From what I’ve seen from Tonda, I’m more confident of him than Still. Just a gut feeling. He comes across as focused and hope this translates into a drive on the training ground. Whether the useless cunts in our squad can respond is a different matter. Tonda has so far interviewed well - better than Still ever managed - although talking Aribo up wasn’t good. I’m cautiously optimistic and in the absence of any outstanding other names, don’t mind the appointment (although timing of announcement seems strange). Hope it works out for us, and him. Can only hope Sports Republic haven’t put him in a position for his career to crash and burn before it’s really started. Over to you, Tonda.

He had managed a promotion at his previous club.

One and a half year contract. Sensible but doesn’t seem an overwhelming commitment or endorsement by the club. Seems to me the club may have committed to a longer trial period.

No, as below he was brought in initially to shadow Ted Bates before taking over. Question whether he was put into the managers role sooner than expected as of course we were relegated at the end of that season. Yes. Worth remembering that Lawrie had two promotions before joining us as well though, at Doncaster (although sacked the following season) and then Grimsby. He didn’t make the leap to Division One without some good experience elsewhere. (Worth remembering that perhaps the jump up the Divisions wasn’t perhaps as great as it is now, and was considered a trusted route in those days).

This is it. Until that point the whole thing is a yawn fest, and I can barely give a shit.

I detect sarcasm in your comment. Quite how Ferdinand gets to host it is beyond me. Good playing record at club level, and plenty of England caps. But outside the Peoples Republic of Manchester has done or won fuck all. At international level his involvement seems barrel scraping. As for the Co-hosts ! This is the biggest football tournament going, but to appeal to the US audience it has to bring in Tom Brady and those from other sports (barely played out of the US). Says it all really.

And don't forget Nick Leeson's more historic tenuous link with Saints. I'm sure I read that Rupert Lowe first employed him in his banking career.

Would have been my choice in the summer, it seemed the most likely outcome. But perhaps that in itself drove Spors to find someone else, not to do the obvious thing and make an appointment of his choice. Should have gone for him in September though. Looking at a Rangers forum and they’re not completely sold on Rohl, although widely regarded as an upgrade on Martin. It did read a bit like this place with complaints re manager, recruitment and players at his disposal. Some already saying he’ll be on his way at the end of the season with agreement already in place for Gerrard to return.