City v Gloucester

That picture must be a fake, because Howells was standing up! Seriously though, you would hope he might look a bit happier that City had just got through to their biggest game for several seasons.

Contrary to the Chronicle subtitle that is the celebration after the second goal not the third.

Dusty Lynfield wrote:Has anyone seen the picture on the Chronicle website of Lee Howells watching Ross Stearn's celebration at the dugout last night? Hilarious (not that Lee's laughing though)

I spotted that and thought straight away....'well every picture tells a story'...it really does give a lot of weight to this unfortunate conspiracy theory about these two.....surely the coach should be delighted we had just taken the lead?

If it really is a personality clash that keeps Stearn out of the team and on the bench for most games, I think Lee Howells should grow up and think of the bigger picture. Stearn is nowhere near perfect, no player is at this level and yes he may give the ball away sometimes and not defend as well as some BUT as the vast majority of the remaining 300 odd supporters left will tell you, he has lots of energy and enthusiasm, beats players with skill & ease, excites the crowd - who have had to put up with a great deal of very poor stuff at times over the past 2-3 seasons - and he scores goals.....which the team do find quite hard to do a lot of the time.

When he was out of the team after his great display against St Albans a few weeks ago I really did feel that certain egos were seemingly more important than the club and as we all know that can never be allowed to continue.

No wonder he cannot contain his celebrations when he does score, it is pure frustration and in my view he is fully entitled to show it...and if I am wrong maybe Lee Howells would like to come out and say what the issue is because it is really annoying some of the clubs most loyal and long serving fans  

cannonball wrote: if I am wrong maybe Lee Howells would like to come out and say what the issue is because it is really annoying some of the clubs most loyal and long serving fans

...and aren't turning up any more.

So, if there is such a problem between Stearn and Howells then 1) Why did Howells what to keep him and 2) Why did Stearn want to stay in the summer?

Every picture tells a story and dont judge a book by the cover. No doubt we've had pictures taken of us at times which dont do us justice. Granted not all taken by Yuffie. But continued speculation about Arch and Stearn's relationship just fill a vacuum cos we dont know do we? I can imagine Stearn isnt the easiest to manage but it is Arch's job to try and sort it so fair enough but I think he deserves a little more respect than he has been shown.

For the record, I do not think that Stearn is the best player in the team. Pratt and Simmo are easily that. If Watkins scored more goals, he would be up there as well. However, Stearn's standing with fans is enhanced for three reasons, firstly, he is an exciting player (you don't have to shout "Shoot!" to him as you know he is going to), secondly, he is a very good player (sod the tracking back if he wins us games like Tuesday) and, thirdly, due to the ridiculous situation where he is not starting games and, when he is brought on, it is getting increasingly late in the game. As it goes, on the hour on Tuesday was a sensible time to bring a sub on but, after the 91st minute one at Hemel, maybe they realised they couldn't take it much further. The management are making a rod for their own back leaving him out. If we had been winning most games very well then they would have had justification but we haven't and players that have been performing less well have been ever present while Stearn gets a couple of games start and then gets shoved back on the bench.

As for the celebration, well, it's a red herring. He ran towards the bench like many players do and celebrated with another player for whatever reason. Rollo didn't look too bothered at be sidestepped. Even if Stearn was making a point, good for him. He has earnt us some well-needed revenue. Mellor very nearly lost us it. Mellor won't get dropped (and rightly so for only one mistake) but Stearn should be treated the same.

Do we get to see our goal again?

Mellor's bought all the rights to it.

I think if Steve puts it in slo-motion it'll take about five minutes for the ball to cross the line.

So we aren't going to see it then? I always put oppo goals online no matter how bad. Poor show that.

To be fair, we haven't got our second goal up either. People have got lives, you know, so it may just be an oversight or a lack of time.

Yuffie,who said Howells wanted to keep him Stearn?

Marc Monitor wrote:To be fair, we haven't got our second goal up either. People have got lives, you know, so it may just be an oversight or a lack of time.

Please..... Lives? It takes minutes.

I think you are going out of your way to find a problem. Just chill and I am sure they will be on at some point.

Bridgeyate wrote:Yuffie,who said Howells wanted to keep him Stearn?

well admittedly it is an assumption based on the fact he is the head coach who did keep stearn - although i accept it was adie britton who was quoted in the paper as being happy he was staying -
but if you know different then feel free to prove it

though that still doesn`t answer why stearn would want to stay in such a situation

Perhaps you should speak to Mr Stearn you may be enlightened.

I mentioned after the recent Maidenhead match that it was very surprising that Stearn had been dropped after his performance at home to St Albans a fortnight earlier (did he have a real shocker 7 days later at Ebbsfleet?). But to drop the guy again, following his 2 goals which won us the game against Gloucester, plus the prize money and a pay day at Rovers, frankly beggars belief. I don't suppose the St Albans team were disappointed that their tormentor at TP was missing yesterday. They really were there for the taking yesterday but the line up selected chucked our advantage away.

Members of the board, you really do need to sort this issue out quickly before yet more fans decide they have better things to do with their time and money.

.....and apparently scoring two goals from the bench is not ample demonstration of what you bring to a team.

It is indefensible.

I feel sorry for all those fans who keep paying good money to follow the team across the south of England and having to endure such nonsense.

The club ought to apologise to them.

If you can imagine the scene in the excellent Mermaid pub before the game - around 25 City fans happily exchanging banter in anticipation of the match. Then someone received the line up on his phone - the mood darkened immediately and I doubt if it improved until they got home some 7 hours later. Those who had travelled on the SC coach had paid up to £28 to support their team, plus £15 entry to the game, on a bitterly cold day. Most of them would have been present at previous poor performances this season at Concord, Bromley, Chelmsford, Thurrock and Gloucester. When one of the club's most loyal and hard working fans tells me after the latest disappointment that he is questioning whether it is worth travelling away anymore, it suggests changes need to be made.

It is looking increasingly short-sighted for the major shareholders to have knocked back the community club proposal. It appears they wanted to run the club into the ground before they would consider it.

Bridgeyate wrote:Perhaps you should speak to Mr Stearn you may be enlightened.

Feel free to enlighten me yourself.

comrade powell wrote:Members of the board, you really do need to sort this issue out quickly before yet more fans decide they have better things to do with their time and money.

The board should be telling the management team which players to select? That's not happened since Manda used to select the team.

The management team are surely accountable. If the people running the club are unhappy with what is being offered to supporters (we have suffered 6 poor performances in a row), then I think they should be asking questions. And if they're not, then why aren't they?

Speak to a few players ,not just Stearn , I have,you will then get a balanced view.I can assure you all is not all rosey as you seem to think.Others may keep quiet as it's an easier option or fits with their personalities,that's why they play.If you can't see that Howells has a problem with Stearn you are not seeing reality.I and others have no faith in the management or the board anymore.We are loosing Bath City F C as we know it.Its very worrying and sad especially to those who cannot see the writings on the wall.