And yes, walking back from the ground, all I could hear was the conversation about how we were the “worst team” they’ve seen this season.
That was a tactical master class from Parky and it’s good to see recognition of that.
I’m not looking forward to attending tonight’s game as West Brom are usually tough opposition when we have a decent team. Our current strugglers could be in for a hiding.
Watching on tv is very tempting.
Had to smile at this football manager fashion spread in last Sunday’s Observer magazine
Photography credit: David Newby
I somehow missed that.
Wot, no Gareff Ainsworth? 
Sadly, Richie Wellens does not display the sartorial elegance as shown in the Observer article!
How does our esteemed Mr Still stack up in the fashion stakes? 
I was very pleased to share the above picture spread with a couple of members of the Saints media team who I’m friends with. Their considered opinion was: ‘Nah, can’t see Will in this clobber.’
Well, I wouldn’t mind seeing Manning in something long & flowing.
A river springs to mind…
“God” would have been able to carry off the fashion statement, but then he had been in the Coldstream Guards, so one would have expected it of him.
While we are all waiting for Saturday to come, it’s interesting to me to see this sort of material co-opted, if I may put it that way, by the broadsheets. I mean, two weeks ago a very upmarket restaurant looking out over the river at Craven Cottage, was reviewed by no less than Giles Coren in The Times. Very favourably, I might add. Top chef naturally. Well-connected career path, worked in all the right places.
It’s all seems a world way from a game largely supported by working class white blokes but what do I know. Perhaps there has always been an element of this, kind of cashing in on the back of the game’s general (and enduring) popularity. But I’m not enough of a social historian to know. Someone here will though.
Generous of Portsmouth and Watford to leave us in 15th.
Interesting how perceptions are shaped by expectation. A crisis at Norwich (allegedly) and happy days at Wrexham and yet we have the same goal difference and 1 point between us.
So you’re claiming football/soccer for the working man, excluding the middle/‘upper’ class??..
True, and that’s what I grew up with - first game ever was in ’67 at The Dell vs the Gooners. We won 2-1 and I was hooked. My father had been trying to get me to go for a couple of years (he’d played in goal for Ireland U21 - at Goodison I believe - and as a winger for the RAF, and after marriage became a Man City fan!).
But over the years it has become a “business venture”. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?
Buqqered if I know!
You missed my qualifier, ‘largely’.
I think the only thing I’m “claiming” is that to my mind, there is something of a disconnect between 5* football stadium restaurant reviews and football related fashion spreads in the broadsheets, and the people who turn up at games to support their team.
Against my better judgment I attended tonight’s game.
Once again I watched a team with no creativity whatsoever playing possession football for the sake of it. Boring beyond belief.
I’m afraid Manning is very overrated and difficult to believe we’ve paid the best part of £million for him.
Mind you with the stat obsessed Knapper in charge fortunes for the ordinary are becoming the norm.
Mark Attanasio needs to do something as despite including season ticket holders, regardless as to whether they turn up, the official attendance figure was several thousand below the average.
I still feel it is at least a month too early for end of season predictions.
However, things have started badly & appear to be rapidly going further downhill.
Our new owners need to rapidly assess the situation, face some unpleasant facts & get a grip sooner than later.
Knapper needs to be got rid of asap, getting in a wiser head & providing them with a clear 3 months until the next transfer window when, perhaps, some rather more sensible disposing & purchasing decisions can be made.
Manning appears clueless at present & I feel his position should also be under review. I still feel that the main priority must be considering Knappers position though.
These are very bleak times. Never suffered 5 consecutive home losses before.
Rome wasn’t built in a day & we won’t be re-built in that time either, but the re-build must start soon, before the board are forced to plan their way out of League 1.
Last night after happily gaining access with my digital ticket on four previous occasions the new digital system wouldn’t allow me to pass despite showing staff my season ticket. I was surprised to be told they had received no training on the new system and couldn’t help. Fortunately the old remedy of switching my phone on and off worked and I was allowed in.
In view of the above I think the director responsible, Zoe Webber should also be included on your list!
Lovely email back from Norwich City about my patchy accessibility experience. Taken in the spirit intended and puts a positive spin on a day where I’m full of a cold and have had to lodge complaints against two train companies for my appalling Passenger Assistance experience at their hands coming back from Leicester via Sheffield.
Off to the Birmingham game shortly. Weather pretty dismal and the game itself is of far less import than last season but still. Despite the lack of a home win so far I suspect most of us would take another draw and to keep this little run and momentum going. Tough one to call though. We must surely both rest some players after playing earlier in the week?
This is my life now. Take a journey on public transport to watch football or a gig. Spend the time on that journey lodging Delay Repay applications and complaints about the last journey and Passenger Assistance whilst noting all the problems on that journey to be complained about on the next journey.
So, yeah, match was done by 10pm. I got home at 2:30am. At 2:00am I find myself debating the merits of Mike Fondop with an Oldham fan in Archie’s on Piccadilly concourse 
Another game of two halves and fine margins. No idea why we restored Doyle for Brunt. The extraordinary stepping up of George Dobson continues. His first home goal and a well deserved MOTM award despite him gifting their goal.
We were brilliant first half and Brum were rocking. Had O’Brien not fluffed his lines we’d have gone in at 2-0 and they weren’t getting back into it. As it was, the game turned on that and 22 seconds into the second half we gift them a goal.
Real star of the game was ref Bobby Madley. Can see why his return to the PL has been limited. Made the game all about him. Probably an equal distribution of errors between us but he was awful. Comparison with the Leicester ref was stark.
Tough week with 3 games in 6 days but we’ve acquitted ourselves very well and the international break is a good moment for some to have a reset and some of the long term injured will be getting 11 v 11s in.
Looking forward to seeing Rathbone and Cacace back.
Good times.