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The season thus far

Snoop Fog

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We're 12 games in, just over a quarter of league games played and its a fair time to reflect on the season so far.

We're a point of the play offs, 4 points off the auto's, and 7 clear of the relegation spots.

Positives are we've only lost once, the new signings (particularly Ray, Dieng, Nombe and prior to today Dawson) appear to be decent players, the pitch is absolutely immaculate, and the fans are back to stay and things seem like their old self.

The negatives are we have recently looked defensively poor as a unit, we fail to kill off teams, MT doesn't appear to know his best formation, Key is half the player he was this time last season, and despite a good start Jevani Brown seems a bit disinterested (possibly a bit harsh)

Under MT in previous seasons we've come flying out the blocks and faded as the season has gone on. Perhaps this year we'll grow into the season, the squad is still relatively new and I have a feeling that we're going to improve and be just fine come May 2022.

However, I stand by my comments that a new manager should be employed if we fail to achieve promotion this season.

Thoughts?
 

dontpassback

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If we started to win the games instead of drawing them,then a lot of talking points would be irrelevant,however we play some nice stuff but seem to lack either the confidence or clinical finish to win these games,some of city’s players today was sublime,but some of it was just plain sloppy and careless so it could go either way,I hope Matt Taylor doesnt start making certain players scapegoats like we had with the Aaron Martin situation.
 
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Spoonz Red E

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Comfortably mid-table
... Jevani Brown seems a bit disinterested (possibly a bit harsh)
In his after match interview Matt Taylor mentioned that he's playing with a foot problem.

 

Snoop Fog

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Matt Taylor mention that he's playing with a foot injury post match.

In which case he shouldn't be playing
 

fred binneys head

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Loving the boy Stanno
Jevani Brown seems a bit disinterested (possibly a bit harsh)
Wow, more than a bit harsh in my view. Jevani was great today, always showing for the ball, keeping the play ticking over, strong, difficult to tackle. He’s a class act, he was great last week at Stevenage and played well again yesterday. I just want him to score as he deserves a goal.
 

Banksy

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The answer is nobody really knows. It always depends on which City turns up , lately it’s been the wrong one.We always seem the nearly men each season too as three Wembley failures testify. We may be a point off the playoffs and four off the autos at the moment but that will change rapidly if the other teams get it together and we still fail to.
Is there something lacking on Taylor’s part ? Once again who knows , but I agree with Snoop that he should go if he fails yet again , sad though that may seem to some.Something will hit the fan anyway at the end of the season if the boys down the road make the Championship this season and we end up in the middle of League Two which just could happen. And City can kiss the 6000 gates target goodbye as well if that’s the case.
And regarding all this possible strengthening in January if it doesn’t work out business.We’re only just over two months off the January window and it didn’t help us much last year anyway.Maybe Stubbs will get suddenly fit , come back like a new signing , and strengthen our shaky defence.But I won’t bet the bank on that.At least we’ve got Nombe and Jay so goals are there thank goodness so get the defence together and who knows.
 

Red Devon

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I don’t think Matt Taylor will be going anywhere even if we finish in the bottom half of the table....the contentment with League Two football was clear to see in last weeks Investment Proposal statement.
 

Super Ronnie Jepson

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Individually I like all the players that have come in over the summer. Collectively they're no performing. Obviously, there's a bedding-in period...but look at Swindon. The time for MT to stop talking about turning draws into wins is over. He needs to prove he can sort it out and quickly.
 

i8cornwall

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It's been a solid start, not spectacular but solid none the less, considering he wasn't seen as a great signing I think Dieng has been brilliant so far along with Ray and from what I've seen think Taylor will fall into that category as well.

Nombe is class and after having a chat with him the other day I get the sense he is genuinely enjoying his time here and out to prove those who doubted him at previous clubs wrong, much to our benefit.

January will be key, clubs in and around us will strengthen and either kick on or fade away, does Taylor have the ability to bring in the right players to strengthen us? will the players come? And more importantly will the club make enough funds available for this? I'm not so sure on all three of those questions to be honest.

I agree with Snoop, if Taylor fails to get us promoted this year then sadly we need to part company with him but as Ive said before others above him should also follow him out the door, after all they appointed him and have over seen the last 5 years of "oh so close" "failure" "close but no cigar" or how ever people wish to phrase it.
 

Pete Martin (CTID)

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Here and there
Now in my 56th season of watching and following City, like many 'old farts', I've probably seen it all over the years. The bad times have generally tended to outweigh the good times, but those rare good times are more special because of the bad. It all comes with the territory of following a lower league club. Ask supporters of many of the clubs in L2, some of which were in the old Division 4 (equivalent of L2) when I started watching City all those years ago.

In my opinion, there are few stand out teams in L2 most seasons and this one is no exception. You could point to Vegans United as the exception that proves the rule, but it is a long old season and there remains plenty of time for things to change, possibly quite dramatically.

I haven't looked back to see the last time that we only lost one of our opening 12 games, but my money is on it being a long time ago. Yes, the eight draws are bloody frustrating but imagine for a moment if we had lost them all. The squad probably changed more in the last closed season than it has in a very long time. It will take this squad a while to get to gel, that is inevitable. We have kept clean sheets in six of those twelve games.

I really do believe that we will start winning matches again soon and the tide will turn. It just needs the players to believe and all of us to get behind them (the noise and support from the big bank yesterday was class throughout). Let us put our faith in the squad and let's not start criticising players too much and too harshly. I believe that, unlike in some past seasons, they are, to a man, giving their all when they're out there wearing the shirt. They want to win every time and we want them to. The applause they received after yesterday's match was really encouraging and I think it showed that the vast majority of fans present recognised that they did their best and gave their all.

Onwards to Crawley......
 
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