z3spacial

All the positivity generated by the cup run is dissipating at a fair old rate. We've lost three on the bounce (granted, one was Everton away), not scored in the two league games since, and now, lost our Captain. We desperately need this managerial fiasco to be settled so we can concentrate all our efforts on survival. If we go down from this position, Corney will have only himself to blame. Get it sorted, and make the announcement NOW ! - and lets get ourselves out of this mess.

I didn't go to the game, (I went to the first one), and don't want to slag off any member of our team - I was proud of their achievements before and after the game regardless - but we WERE a different team when Smiffy and Simps came on. Everton were genuinely fearful of Smiffy, and Simpson got stuck in big time. I think the initial team selection is one of the very few things that TP has got wrong since the start of his tenure - Smiffy SHOULD have started - you can imagine the relief of the Everton defence when they realised he wasn't! I think that, and the fact that Wes wasn't 100% (and therefore restricted to a cameo) that prevented a closer game - but even so, we gave'em a game - hit the post, SHOULD have had a penalty, and had a good go in the 2nd half.

After Pointon scored my memory was...

 

- Sharpy missing an absolute sitter with a couple of minutes to go to finish them off.

 

we're entitled to 15% under FA Rules so 4800 seems about right.

No way could you drop Wes after the last two performances - Leave Furman on the bench and bring him on fresh with 20 - 25 to go. Not keen on Iwelumo - start with Smith - bring on Iwelumo as an option if things aren't going well.

Makes our display and club look all the more impressive this game....

Championship club v Poor prem side. And after an hour are struggling.

Ground 2/3rds empty

Compare THAT to last night!

Scholes now 7/4 favourite.

Paul Scholes 7/4 Iain Dowie 4/1 John Sheridan 7/1 Phil Brown 8/1 Nicky Butt 14/1 Mark Crossley 18/1 Gary Megson 18/1 Billy Davies 20/1 Paul Jewell 20/1 Alan Knill 20/1 Derek McInnes 20/1 Paul Ince 22/1 Steven Pressley 22/1 Ritchie Barker 22/1 Nick Barmby 22/1 Peter Houston 25/1 Micky Mellon 25/1 Alan Irvine 25/1 Paolo Di Canio 28/1 Alan Curbishley 28/1 Owen Coyle 28/1 Steve Kean 33/1

 

 

 

Where has Shez appeared from?

Emile Heskey ?

Matthew Smith has looked so poor in so many games, but, his display yesterday was unbelievable. He won everything and never stopped battling as the Liverpool players moaned and winged. Did they expect us to let them play ?

Well played Matt, more of the same please....

That's because we are a loss making business. People expect the owners to bear the cost of any extra spending, but use any unforeseen revenue on the playing side. Isn't it natural to use some extra revenue to lose less money?

But occasionally, it really is worth the gamble isn't it ? Sign up Baxter on the longest contract we can get him to agree to, pay him a 'Tayloresque' wage. He's the nearest thing to a bankable guaranteed transfer fee we are likely to see. If he goes for nothing after 4 months I'll be gutted. It's players like him that get the people watching and wanting to come back - I'm sure SC must know this....

Gotta say....more often than not, I agree with O4Us postings, he usually talks sense, with reasoned discussion and intelligent prose. However, on this occasion, he couldn't be more wrong. Some of the stuff we played on Saturday was excellent. Some of the distribution and energy on show was better than most of what I've been watching in the last 4 years. YES occasionally, we'll slip up - we are where we are after all, but the entertainment and passion on show is so far away from the first few games that I have rekindled my enthusiasm of being a Latic again!. I'm actually looking forward to games again rather than it feeling like a duty visit. Although 4 games in doesn't necessarily mean the tide has turned, it's a great start, and though I have criticised the results of the manager in the past (but never the man himself), I can only applaud what I'm seeing at the moment. We MUST take as many steps as we can to sign Baxter. Offer him a decent salary (maybe similar to Taylors when he left), a 3 year deal with an option to leave if the money is right.... SIGN HIM UP

errrr..... Can we afford NOT to ?

Baxter - class above

+1

Saturday is indeed massive - After only a few games it's the old "six pointer" against a Coventry side that's going to struggle all season unless it can spend some money in January. I think PD is now on borrowed time - it will take a fantastic turnabout to save his job now and I cant see it happening. It's a shame - he's a great bloke - but just hasn't got the tactical prowess or the ability to learn from mistakes. I still think, that with the right "right hand man", he could have improved us massively.....If we lose on Saturday, he could be going, and we'll be in deep deep trouble

Who would you say was or is the the best Latics player who never played higher than the Championship or the old 2nd Division level ?

Eyres

Enjoyed that. Sums up MK perfectly....

No compo expected or required for me.

I bought my ST knowing I would miss lot of games due to work commitments but wanted to support my club. The Liverpool tickets were my bonus for that!

I think it's a good to see anything that encourages more support into the club. If the new or lapsed supporters like what they see, they may well come back for more. We certainly can't manage on meagre 2,500 crowds, so something has to be done - and anything that helps the overall match atmosphere has to be encouraged.

Incidentally, I bought a car and six months later, an identical model was £5K cheaper - I wasn't offered any compo then, neither did I expect to receive any - what's different about this ?

Sorry if this is disjointed but i've been putting bits together as i read through the post

 

I was towards the back (row 32) of Block 125....I had a 7 year old nephew with me who, pretty much stood on his seat for the game. He wasn't blocking anyones view and the guys in front sat down as much as they could so fair play to them....but when 31 rows in front stand up, you quite simply have to stand up! We've all been to football matches and we knew what to expect so no reason to moan.

 

My nephew knows what is and isn't swearing and he laughs and calls people naughty when they swear - so we're not too bothereed about people being drunk or swearing. I think the attitude on here is at two different poles when it needs to be somewhere in the middle. Some people on here are moaning about too much (drunk/swearing), and some people pushed the boundaries too far (aggresive to away fans / refusing to sit). I like standing, but in a seated stand, i'll only ever stand up when something happens, and when i'm ready, i'll sit down. Why should i be told to sit down when the ball is out of play? One woman behind me moaned when i went for a whizz and the ball was out of play.

 

if you go to games, you have to accept that people will stand and swear.....you have to accept that some people enjoy watching football in a different way than you. I'm not saying you have to put up with nastiness and disgraceful behaviour,, but you really can't expect the finest of behaviour. My dad took me from an early age, and to be honest, it was the atmposphere that got me hooked. Apart from the times i sat on the advertising boards to watch the game, all i saw for 90 mins was the back of people's heads. I enjoyed the noise and the banter and that is why i still go. My nephew enjoys the atmosphere (although under the roof on fri he said the noise hurt his ears) and he gets a bit bored without it.

 

I too had been looking forward to the game for a long time, and i was always gonna make sure i enjoyed it. I travelled to southend for the 2nd round and there weren't 6000 people there so in my head - i deserved it more than a fair percentage of the people who were there. Call that wrong or right...i don't care.

The issues (for me) weren't the swearing (I've been known to swear myself and know all the words ) - It wasn't the standing up when things got exciting - I wouldn't expect model behaviour at a footy match - It wasn't the inane and neanderthal gesturing to opposition fans either - if people want to make themselves look ridiculous in public, then who am I to judge ?

WHAT I DID OBJECT TO was, after politely being asked to sit down (and it was the first time I asked after 20 minutes of the game), was nasty intimidating swearing reply directed back. The aggression on their obviously booze affected faces was quite apparent and there is ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE for any such behaviour. As I said, we had a five year old AND my wife who was quite obviously distressed.

Ive enjoyed the debate of the thread, and I agree with some of the suggestions, but the hostility and the excuses for such behaviour doesn't wash with me at all. To condone it by suggesting they have a right because they go to all the away games is ridiculous, and is the reason football fans are treated like cattle. We'll never be rid of it I know, but it doesn't mean that we, the majority, have to accept it, does it ?

Those idiots sound like utter morons.... but standing at away games is rather common place nowadays and if you followed a team which took a full allocation of seats at every away game, it would be something you would have to get used to. It is normal in the PL for example, for the majority of away fans to stand up.

 

That said, I also sat down much of the time to ensure I didn't get in the way of other, until they also stood up themselves.

I enjoy standing myself - but in a ground that has no facility for it and no way to move, then I have to consider the people around me don't I ? Thats all I would expect in return. At the risk of sounding like my father, there's no respect "these days" and if you stand up to them you immediately feel at risk, particularly with young kids by your side.

Luckily, it didn't kill my enjoyment too much. The pride I felt in my team prevented that. But my wife has said she'll never go away again - she was VERY upset and found the intimidation quite frightening

To the OP - I've resisted making similar grumbles on here as I didn't want to overshadow what was a great day.

 

I think I may have been sat very close to you. When these guys started having a go at my uncle who is a ST holder and has been going for 57 years for asking them to sit down I almost lost it. We missed the first 10 minutes or so as we had to pear between them. There was nothing we could do, it totally ruined a great night for him and us. One of the guys did apologise buy it was too late at that point. Their comeback was 'I'd like to see you at an away match", which totally baffled me. I'd like to blame it all on the occasion and the booze but I'm not sure that made too much difference.

 

At most away games you have a choice of where to sit, we were just unlucky that we weren't able to move on this occasion.

Thats my feelings exactly - didn't want to moan as it was a great occasion - but these selfish morons only cared about themselves.

Incidentally, I was on 122 - Row 20 Seat 20 - The said fans were on Row 18

Don't like sitting much, but I did do at the game ...... suppose it's because I've got manners and respect for others

And that all any of us ask for

Let me start this thread by saying:

I've been a fan for over 30 years. And a season ticket holder for most of them. I (when younger) attended lots of away games, but cost and time (mainly time) affect my ability to go to most away games but I usually go to the MK Dongs away game as I work here.

OK, so now you know I'm a decent fan. I even sponsored Chaddy's kit - I love my club - shimples.

So get to the point I hear you cry....

So there we are, my 3 mates, my wife and our son (who, unfortunately is a Liverpool fan), my mate's son (who's 5) and one "extra". 3 of us and a young lad who go to all the home games and 3 who don't go to many games. I'm rambling - anyway you get the picture.

So here's the scene. We're all lined up watching the game. Two rows in front, there's 8 people who just WON'T sit down. We're being told by stewards to sit down constantly, yet these fans just won't. So they're asked - as nicely as possible at first - to sit - after all, anyone behind had to stand to see the game if they wouldn't sit - they don't AND they get abusive. Some of the vitriol directed at the opponents fans was shocking too! (By the way, I wouldnt have expected everyone to stay sat down for the whole game but these guys stood for 80% of it). The problem is there are kids and women about. They've obviously had alot to drink and their attitude is almost that of wanting the fracas.

Their reaction was "Where were you at Chestrefield, Bournemouth, Charlton etc etc etc yawn). Does attending an away game give someone God given right to abuse their OWN fans - the sheer number of people intimidated by them was massive. They were constantly having a go to the point my wife just wanted to leave and gave up on watching the game completely. I doubt she'll bother attending again, and she was really looking forward to it.

The stewards eventually took a couple of them away for a "stern" word, but they soon, inexplicably, were allowed back, to carry on their selfish exploits.

So is this how it should be ? Do these "fans" enjoy feeling "special" so much that the don't actually WANT any more fans to join our club ? YES, many of the people who attended don't go to all or many of the games, but they were there then - they'd PAID to support OUR club - they had every right to be there and to be able to see the game, regardless of the number of games previously attended. If they have to suffer the indignities I and my friends did, why would they want to come back?

I enjoyed the game, I'm proud of our performance and MY club, but I was ashamed of these idiots - did anyone else have similar problems ?

RANT OVER

One final aside....

A couple of these fans "disappeared" just before half time - obviously to get the beer in - They all then disappeared at H/T - Then for 10 blissful 2nd half minutes there was no sign of them. These fans who love their club so much had to finish their pints before coming back to watch them - Hmmmmm

I am seriously annoyed that the story has gone on the main site giving "my" name

 

Over 6 years without being ever mentioned as anything other than Chaddy until today. Defeats the object.

Good to see they removed it for ya Chaddy!

Chaddy and I are now in contact and I hope to be able to meet up over the weekend and handover the cheque....

Chaddy, give me a call on the email I sent you, your phone number doesn't work

Longmuir Wild's Blue & White Chaddy