fensaddler

I notice the balloon incident was discussed in the Talking City game summary as one of their three talking points. I hope this one isn't going away without an almighty fuss.

Balloons was towards the front of Bay 16. In front of me. Seemed to sum up everything that is wrong with the grim, joyless A League at the moment.

Officials have now lost control of this.

We've got another arse for a referee today.

Have officially reported to the club via membership@. Suggest anyone else who saw it does the same.

Saw this. Security were utter arseholes. And the rest of them laughing while it happened. Those kids might not come again. It's these fuckwits who are killing the game. Adult that was with the kids was I think filming it all on his phone. Hopefully results in a complaint and a few sackings.

I don't think it was a name that was ever on my list....

I think he'll be a fantastic acquisition. Quick, mobile and creative, he's exactly what we need more of.

Lots of players deserve plaudits for that one but my points go to: 3 Arslan 2 Caputo 1 Antonis

Good to have you back jw. Just a select few of us there tonight but we enjoyed ourselves!

I think this is just what is said in these situations. Would be foolish to comment on tactical adjustments so that the opposition can respond. It's PR speak.

Interesting. Former Walsall player.... It's a small world...

Two things were obvious. First, he damn near got a couple of goals apart from a great save and a goal line clearance. One of those he had no right to get to. Second, he is a big unit, and he gives his defender no peace. He is an absolute handful for the opposition to deal with. Enjoyed watching him play, and could quickly find a new favourite player if he carries on the same way.

3 Souprayen 2 Arslan 1 Caputo

The stats and my eyes both say we were the best team. Could have been three. Caputo was excellent. Arslan and Souprayen both had great games.

Caputo is good, but no Good or Leckie, on top of Tilio out, is pretty rough. Means we've got Nuno Reis in the heart of defence, which frankly frightens me. Can't see us getting much out of this. Really fear we're watching the end of Matt Leckie's stellar career.

As expected, kick off for this one has been pushed back to 7 because of the extreme heat. Mods, any chance you can edit the thread title?

However, the weather forecast suggests 37C on Saturday, so I think that kills the game and the crowd numbers. High chance of being pushed later in the evening unless a cool change is due?

Positives, we're at home, it's a Saturday afternoon, and we might have Tilio, Arslan and Leckie all good to go. It's still a big ask given recent form and against a very decent and well organised Nix team, who are deservedly top. Chance to rock up on a holiday weekend and back our team, for better or worse....

Hope springs eternal that we might turn up and get something out of this, but we're going to need as many back as possible, and the right formation and approach.

I agree with you to some degree. Success is never given and I would not feel comfortable with supporters who felt entitled to success. Partly this is about the scale of our collapse, and the sense of the shambolic and ill judged which surrounds it. This happens to the best of clubs and the best of supporters, so it's not existential if the club takes the right steps and recognises the root of the issues. More than the poor results, the poor structure on the field or the revolving door selections, what flags to me that all is not right is the number of players who have just decided to up and leave (Hamza Sakhi being just the latest), the apparent tensions reported in the dressing room, and the stumbling development of the latest graduates of our youth program. All of this can be fixed if the root causes are honestly recognised. Then the club needs to address its long term weakness, the engagement of its fans and the clubs identity. I won't resile from the fact that CFG made some fucking stupid, arrogant decisions when they first took over, with our colours and name, and we're still paying the price for that. This was particularly a problem for many UK heritage supporters who had no love for, or an actual visceral loathing for, Manchester City. Some of us stayed, some didn't. But it did break some of my instinctive connection with the club. I chose Heart because its colours were the same as my home town club. Beyond that, I want us to try and rebuild that connection and identity. I've got no magic wand solution, but connection to players, especially our home grown talent, is important. I'd rather be fighting to get in the six with a group of committed home grown youngsters than being where we are with a bunch of players we barely know, or who appear not to care. It's been a crap season. That's OK. I've seen plenty of those supporting Walsall. What we do now, how the problems are addressed and fixed, will be what matters.

There's something fundamentally wrong. Partly manager, partly players, partly dressing room, but it runs much deeper and higher than any of these factors.

3 Good 2 Politidis 1 Natel

Pitch is shite.