91.5m v 2.5m

Topfarrier said:
Soooo.....just to get back on topic....is it now only me that thinks anything but automatic promotion is failure?
Click to expand...

It's a silly opinion to have at the start of a 46 game season that has been concertinaed into a short space of time. We are in a great position but we could miss out for all sorts of reasons. If they play well and entertain us throughout the season then that will be a success as far as I'm concerned.

What I would say is that the majority of the season being behind closed doors should help us. Personally I didn't think we were that great yesterday but our better players made the world of difference. Playing without crowds should mean that the better teams win more away than they might have done with partisan crowds. I think the crowd cost us at Middlesbrough.
 
red_house said:
Neil's part of the furniture on here. We've all been bickering away at each for well over a decade, there's often been banter/ humour but there's always been a line and I'd have no problem buying the guy a pint. The issue I've noticed is there's been a gradual increase in cynicism in various quarters including from Neil, which I'm sure he won't mind me saying. People react to Neils posts, Neil reacts and then we have a spiral of negativity as demonstrated on this thread.

Taken in isolation the thread title would ordinarily seem pretty innocuous. However because many of us actively read Neils posts, we've seen the so called monetary value of the squad used recently as some kind of leverage over JT which is understandable but isn't that straightforward. Take the proceeding posts, history and author away and its actually a thread that would get a few comments and just slide away. Perhaps Neil should be proud that he holds sway over the forum when it comes to some of his views.

So when people react ( including me ) its not just a reaction to the thread content, its the months of 'discussion' that's come before it . Lets be brutally honest to start a thread on the value of the squad four minutes before KO on a Friday night was a bit of a fishing trip from Neil and deep down he probably knows it :hmmm:. I mention Friday because perhaps a few people were on the ale and suddenly that keyboard is banging out stuff that wouldn't happen on a Monday morning. There are plenty of long standing and usually quite sensible posters who reacted but it wasn't a one off. People can only react to what they read and it's not pretty reading at the moment from several quarters and its been kind of building with the 'Evangelicals' / 'famous four' / 'Your Jason' stuff thrown back. As they say it takes two to tango.

I was going to ask a cheeky question last week but didn't because it's all getting a bit tetchy. Was the Neil who wrote the Norwich match report (lauding the defensive display and the early season result ) the same Neil who then went and ripped into the performance on the very same thread ? The Everton match report was excellent and as a forum we all acknowledged it but then subsequent posts seemed to contradict it. Perhaps I'm missing something or guilty of taking certain posts a little to literally, probably the latter. One thing for sure is that I read Neils posts and he knows how to command an audience, good or bad.

Good posters have come and gone over the years and many of us have a love / hate relationship with the place. No post or poster is immune to criticism but quite often its best to do a 'system reset' and come back with a clear head. That can be days, weeks or months. Hopefully Neil will have a rethink and pop back soon.
Click to expand...

Some sense from one of the forum stalwarts.
 
As an avid reader but very rare contributor to the various forums since Sam and Jon setup BOTW back when we were at school, I have admired Neil’s match reports and tactical understanding of the game from afar for years. It takes real skill to consistently summarise a game with quality analysis. Whilst we all have our biases and blind spots, by and large he has been correct with his on the pitch views over the years in my view.

What I have noticed, particularly over the last year with non-match debates where generally it’s supposition rather than observations of something we all can see in a match (reasons for our injury record, Eddie, Tindall’s appointment,training methods etc) is a ramped up level of cynicism and at times aggression on this board. I put this down to the frustration of our teams performance, relegation and effect of lockdown on wider society, rather than anything too personal (the odd exception aside).

I wouldn’t know Neil if I bumped into him in the street, however sincerely hope he reconsiders as he would be a massive loss to this community and particularly his quality match reports will be sorely missed.
 
Do you still want Gareth Ainsworth as manager Neil? lol

In all seriousness though I hope you stay as I do think you do splendid match reports.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
What a thread to not have been following.

Never nice to read anyone wanting to step away, especially such a long term poster who has contributed so much.

Would love to make a post and try and persuade him otherwise, but I doubt I could persuade him. He knows how much his reports and debates have been appreciated over the years and despite the banter, I’m content he knows the true lay of the land.

It would be good to move away from playing the poster rather than the post and that goes for one word insults or indeed grouping people with fancy tag lines. Both antagonise people and as red_house has said this is something that has boiled over from discussions for months if not years rather than the one bout of unnecessary name calling on this thread.
 
I sincerely hope as a community we haven't lost Neil. His match reports are legend and rather like Peter Bell on Cherry Chimes I really appreciate the work they put in on our behalf. It is also refreshing to see others agreeing with our own assessment of the games and the player's performances.

There will always be cut and thrust in a forum but we have one common bond that unites. Please reconsider Neil you are worth more to us than the odd appearance on BOTN we have seasons and close seasons to get through and we need you at the front of the pack.
 
red_house said:
Neil's part of the furniture on here. We've all been bickering away at each for well over a decade, there's often been banter/ humour but there's always been a line and I'd have no problem buying the guy a pint. The issue I've noticed is there's been a gradual increase in cynicism in various quarters including from Neil, which I'm sure he won't mind me saying. People react to Neils posts, Neil reacts and then we have a spiral of negativity as demonstrated on this thread.

Taken in isolation the thread title would ordinarily seem pretty innocuous. However because many of us actively read Neils posts, we've seen the so called monetary value of the squad used recently as some kind of leverage over JT which is understandable but isn't that straightforward. Take the proceeding posts, history and author away and its actually a thread that would get a few comments and just slide away. Perhaps Neil should be proud that he holds sway over the forum when it comes to some of his views.

So when people react ( including me ) its not just a reaction to the thread content, its the months of 'discussion' that's come before it . Lets be brutally honest to start a thread on the value of the squad four minutes before KO on a Friday night was a bit of a fishing trip from Neil and deep down he probably knows it :hmmm:. I mention Friday because perhaps a few people were on the ale and suddenly that keyboard is banging out stuff that wouldn't happen on a Monday morning. There are plenty of long standing and usually quite sensible posters who reacted but it wasn't a one off. People can only react to what they read and it's not pretty reading at the moment from several quarters and its been kind of building with the 'Evangelicals' / 'famous four' / 'Your Jason' stuff thrown back. As they say it takes two to tango.

I was going to ask a cheeky question last week but didn't because it's all getting a bit tetchy. Was the Neil who wrote the Norwich match report (lauding the defensive display and the early season result ) the same Neil who then went and ripped into the performance on the very same thread ? The Everton match report was excellent and as a forum we all acknowledged it but then subsequent posts seemed to contradict it. Perhaps I'm missing something or guilty of taking certain posts a little to literally, probably the latter. One thing for sure is that I read Neils posts and he knows how to command an audience, good or bad.

Good posters have come and gone over the years and many of us have a love / hate relationship with the place. No post or poster is immune to criticism but quite often its best to do a 'system reset' and come back with a clear head. That can be days, weeks or months. Hopefully Neil will have a rethink and pop back soon.
Click to expand...
A good post red_house. This forum would be considerably poorer without Neil's contributions and especially his insightful match reports which are consistently excellent - far better than any report I read in the media.

Neil, you have to do what you need to do but I, and many other on this forum, hope that your absence is temporary and that you feel you can return.
 
If people leave and the forum is poorer for it then hopefully it will help self regulate further behaviour.

I think it can get needlessly unpleasant at times but who knows the real motives behind what people say, and whether you still mean it the next day!
 
I thought this was a fans football forum, everything aired has absolutely zero consequence in the real world, same as the rest of the internet

and as for bullying; if you don't like others views or get upset when they don't always agree with yours just turn off your phone/laptop/computer and get on with something useful, like knitting
 
Spot on DJ.

'It would be good to move away from playing the poster rather than the post and that goes for one word insults or indeed grouping people with fancy tag lines. Both antagonise people and as red_house has said this is something that has boiled over from discussions for months if not years rather than the one bout of unnecessary name calling on this thread.'
 
TrueCherry said:
6 subs was only due to a couple of players not being available at the last minute. In normal times there would be other players who travelled but guess minimal taken in covid times
Click to expand...

Later afternoon Josh apparently sent the text.

Game was at 7:45pm
 
AFCB_Liam said:
Not sure B Smith or Ibe count as a loss but fair point.

The defence has impressively handled the loss of Ake and Rambo so far. I think Danjuma and/or Stan are an upgrade on last year's Fraser. Yet to be seen how much of a loss Wilson and King will be, positive signs from SaS so far though.
Click to expand...

Yes Solanke's all round game is fab. Needs to score though. Surridge is clinical with finishing but needs to improve his all round game.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

;