105th SEASON - 16 GAMES IN

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A year ago this weekend, City were winning at Pompey with a Killgallon goal. Were third in the league and had amassed 30 points. He who shall remain nameless has virtually destroyed the club in 12 months. He couldn't have been that successful if he'd set out to do it.


In some ways, I hope that come next March or April that City are down or mathematically as good as. I couldn't stomach an upturn in form post Xmas only to fall a point or two or even worse goal difference shy of staying up, that would be heartbreaking.

Unless there's an influx of players with backbones and talent. I just can't see a 2019 second half of season fight to stave off the drop, like say 1996-97. They look resigned to defeat in every game and it's only nearly November.

I've seen plenty of bad City sides in the 40+ years I've been going. Don't recall such a spineless team as this lot though. Yes, there's been poor City teams across the decades, but even then they'd at least give it a go against superior opposition. This lot are poor quality and don't look that bothered that they're so bad, that's what really hurts.

 

Backbones and talent -- to be short one is unfortunate, but when you're short both... you end up on track for 29 points and an embarrassingly early relegation.

You mention the 96 side that managed to save themselves; I'll return again to the 83 side, which had as bad a start as this season's, but had the players to turn it around. That was the right mix of the young and promising -- e.g. Abbott, McCall, your namesake -- those becoming established -- e.g. Jackson -- and the experienced veterans -- e.g. Cherry, Cooke, Hawley, Podd. The return of Campbell didn't hurt either. Bobby, Ces, Stuart -- all in the same side, and all identifiable by first names only. I just can't see that happening for any of our current lot.

If our current owners had used that side as the model for their model, we wouldn't be having all this upset now.

RCB