Badger

What you describe is a need for a Robbins or similar. Say it quickly and often enough and that stacks up. In practice the difficulty is identifying and attracting one who is either available, and/or willing to come to us. Yes, you’re right but without repeating the same debate from this and the manager thread there doesn’t seem to be any immediate candidates meeting the above requirements. In which case we end up recycling a manager from the same stagnant pool.

And if that real choice was Gary O’Neil ?

Don’t disagree with what you’re saying, but it doesn’t address whether we’d find someone up to quickly changing things from the touchline.

I was surprised that his and Edozies squad numbers weren’t reallocated in the summer as both seemed on their way out. Neither contributed anything of note since.

Isn’t that true of many if not most managers, including experienced ? The only manager of ours I recall being renowned for tweaking things mid-match was Hoddle. Although that deserted him one night at Tranmere

Critical thing for me is if he learns from it. If Aribo is cast aside and not called upon again then that’s a good sign. If he keeps bringing him on then worrying. Agree that he doesn’t come with the ready made stature or aura, but of those who might - Gerard or Carrick perhaps - I’m not sure they’d provide a better option. And we’d have to go through another painful process of them finding out about their squads. Sadly the managers (or ‘head coaches’) who might meet the ‘stature’ criterion are unlikely to be persuaded to come to us. But it also goes to underline the poor squad depth any manager has to work with (GK’s, CB’s, Manning, Aribo … CF).

Was it Damion Downs level ?

Out of interest, how did Bragg play today ? Was he flagging when he came off? Bringing Fellows off on a yellow card might make sense. But a shame Aribo and Romeu were not up to speed.

Just from the highlights worth adding that Romeu should have prevented them working the cross in the first place. No way the bloke runs through the Romeu of old like that. Romeu’s challenge was the sort of effort Smallbone was regularly criticised for. That’s not to defend Manning or Bazunu but there were two chances to cut that out before it got to Bazunu.

Possibly, but I wonder if the expectation is that the bigger and more experienced Aribo is a better and more physical option than a lightweight Matsuki. Answer on a postcard has now hopefully dropped through Tonda’s door for future matches.

If we sign him, can I be first to say that I hope a bloke whose name sounds like Eunice is as good as Marian was for us. Sounds what we were hoping Downs would be.

Or something to the tune of Cwm Tonda perhaps

Good attempts perhaps , but anything more than four or five lines won’t catch on with the match going support in the Northam.

Spike Milligan was similarly impressed.

Don’t forget that Skatesville could easily be renamed Merseyside-on- Solent and the name wouldn’t be out of place.

Possibly sprained neck or back due to that tree he seems to be growing on his head.

Not sure the bloke from Shirley had this in mind.

Has he even been on the bench since Tonda took over ?

As for ‘nods’ don’t forget the bloke from Shirley who’d always join a Radio Solent phone-in with “they should make Benali manager … he bleeds red and white ..”

Sadly they probably have a good chance of winning it as on the subject of fiction, they’ll no doubt trumpet the fact Charles Dickens was born there. As was Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Both fucked off at a very young age but that’ll be conveniently overlooked. But as we know from local skate folklore, both Dickens and IKB were pioneers in their field, and founder members of the Victorian era 657 crew. IKB among other things was keen on railway stations and saw them as a meeting point for ‘firms’ to get together and travel around the country for a punch up.

Best Cultrural Attache the world has seen since Sir Ralph Patterson

Way things are going you wonder if the skates will stick with Mousinho. I always thought Gary O’Neil would end up there. Possibly their manager when we play them

Or a clamour to bring back Tonda if he returns to the U21's.

I think there were rumours that he was close to it in January, but a midweek win against Watford I think put him back on track.

Grossly unfair on Tonda. Looks more fitting for Lee Carsley. But watching the Eckert interview after Charlton and to me he looked like a young Brendan Rodgers.