The Exiled Robin

Comparisons with Chelsea and Jose Mourinho, articles on his lucky pants and an obsessive search for magpies and brief links to jobs at a higher level.  It’s been an interesting week for Bristol City manager, Steve Cotterill. And that’s all because it’s November and City are STILL unbeaten. Being nearly one-third of the way through the season and still to register a ‘L’ in the results column is a remarkable achievement.  Yet in the last couple of weeks – as Preston North End maintain their own outstanding winning run and close the gap – more and more questions have been raised about the conceding of soft goals, the carelessness of protecting leads, and dropped points in recent games. Is this unfair criticism of a team who are taking all before them and remain, for now, in the highest possible position they can attain? Or is it justifiable concern of what might lie ahead, should these shortcoming not be addressed?  Probably a bit of both. I have seen some peopl...

I'm delighted to say that after a short break,  Easyodds.com  football tipster and Bristol City fan Ross Casey is back this week with a betting column on City’s trip to Oakwell to face Danny Wilson’s Barnsley. After the late slip-up preventing us of three points at Ashton Gate in midweek, can we take the win at Barnsley like we have in three of our last four visits?  Keep reading below for Ross’ full betting preview including his most pertinent trends and oddities… BEST MATCH ODDS: BRISTOL CITY – 11/10 (Multiple) BARNSLEY – 59/20 (MarathonBet) DRAW – 13/5 (Multiple) BRISTOL CITY: It doesn’t take a genius to see a trend in Bristol City’s matches that we score goals. In sixteen matches this term we have only failed to hit the net once and that was against Orient when Baldock’s goal was disallowed for no reason at all. It is not just the fact we are scoring that is so pleasing – 14 of our 20 outfield players to play first team football this season have h...

“If you wanna be the best, if you wanna beat the best, oh-oh dedication’s what you need” The Bristol City class of 2014-15 wrote their own piece of history on Tuesday night when their draw against Bradford meant that a club record that had lasted exactly sixty years had been broken, and we had gone 14 matches unbeaten from the start of a season.  To put that in context, it’s nearly one-third of the way through the season – a quite remarkable achievement which glossed over some of the disappointment in ‘only’ gaining a point on a windy night in BS3. The record-breakers take their status on the road again this weekend to Oakwell, home of Barnsley, who have the son of an ex-City striking legend and an ex-City manager looking to put one over on the Robins. Stu Radnedge spoke to Andy White  of the ‘Love Barnsley, Hate Football’ blog to find out more: “My beloved Barnsley FC. Relegated last season, currently hovering above another relegation zone and shipping goa...

As nearly 4,000 Robins' fans get set to descend on the Midlands this weekend, City approach this game still clear at the top of the table and scoring goals for fun. It's a good job too, as the defence, which looked stronger in the first few games than last season, is suddenly looking porous again and the loss of Korey Smith for this match up probably won't help matters. Ahead of the tale of two cities, Stu Radnedge caught up with Joey from the excellent Nii Lamptey Show to give us this fabulous insight into the weird & wonderful recent tales of the Sky Blues. "It seems there’s never a dull moment in the life of a Coventry City Wasps RFC fan! The last time I wrote would have been on the eve of our 5-4 slugfest victory when we were exiled in Sixfields. This was a period of the season notable for both it’s swashbuckling and cavalier (football parlance for conceding loads of goals but somehow still winning) approach on the field and the uneasy feeling of going t...

After clinching the Sky Bet League Two title on the final day of last season, many felt optimistic that the team could step up to the demands of performing in a higher division. So far, every single member of the Chesterfield squad has acquitted themselves well enough to reassure supporters that they can handle this particular task.  However, in any walk of life you’ll undoubtedly encounter the odd pessimist and it’s no different at the Proact Stadium. During the Summer, there were huge calls for a new striker and more importantly, a proven goalscorer whose goals would fire the Spireites to a new level.  Now, that’s all changed as Eoin Doyle has come alive in the knowledge of being the first-choice forward at the club following the departure of Marc Richards to Northampton Town.  Nobody can complain with the more than impressive return of 12 league goals from just ten appearances. To be perfectly honest, without the Irishman’s ability in front of...

Wednesday night marks not only another step in City's remarkable season, but the return to the scene of his greatest triumphs for manager Steve Cotterill.  As explained by Cheltenham fan and Gloucestershire Echo sports reporter Mark Halliwell below, a heroes welcome is likely from both sets of fans for the West-country-man who is fast burnishing a similar reputation just down the M5 as he did more than a decade ago at Whaddon Road. It's a great, informative read so I won't rattle on any longer - my thanks to Mark for the response and to Stu Radnedge for prompting the answers. "When former managers and players go back to their former clubs, they will usually expect a hostile reception. But not this time. When Steve Cotterill comes back to Cheltenham Town on Wednesday, the Whaddon Road crowd will be welcoming back a hero - one of their own who took the club to places they could only have dreamed about when he took over. To understand this, you have to go bac...

Things just keep getting better, don’t they? A good win against a strong MK Dons side strengthened City’s position at the top of the table and meant we scored three goals for the fourth consecutive match – a quite amazing run of scoring prowess.  What odds a 0-0 draw this weekend?! The promotion charge is well and truly on now and the support City will get in the West Midlands this weekend marks the first true sign that the fans are genuinely starting to believe.  More than 1,800 will head up the M5 on Saturday morning and try to avoid the obtuse provocation of the infamous West Midlands constabulary. The Saddlers are a team on the up though after a poor start to the season and will represent a tough challenge, with ex-City no.2 Richard O’Kelly seemingly working well with young boss Dean Smith to mould a slick, passing side with long-term goals very much to the fore. So what lies ahead of us? Can Walsall be the first side to take maximum points from the unbeaten l...