MATCH THREAD: Into the great unknown. Bristol City (H) -11th Aug, 2018

[mullayo]

Villa 3 - 2 Wigan,

not all bad!

That midfielder they stole from us scored but they still lost.
Fantastic! Find your own targets ya thieving scum.

[mullayo]

Bollocks Bollocks.

Not Bollocks. Brooks.
His name is Brooks. John Brooks. Licensed to ruin football games.
I wonder what Wigan paid him?
Probably per free kick. He gave them 20-6. And 6 yellow cards

[BWFC_Insane]

To play that poorly and get 2 goals and a draw is either the sign of a good side or a fecking lucky one. I'll let you lot decide which you think we are.

Played poorly? Nonsense. Bristol were a good side and played well. We shouldn’t have conceded that second on the break, that was shocking. But we were organised and kept our shape and stuck to a gameplan.

Was a good performance where we nearly managed to beat a better side.

[mullayo]

Magennis man of the match for me. 2 goals in 2 games.$200K. You do the math.
He was much better than last week with an actual ref he would have been totally dominant.
With those frees and yellows against us a point is a brilliant result. Just feels sh*te after going 2-0 up.

However, if we're going to play this way all the time. Ozzy and Alf aren't much use to us. Should have got another D mid.
Noone played well and worked hard. His final product is crap but he'd make a good fullback needs to let others cross the last ball or take the last shot.

[nicholaldo]

To play that poorly and get 2 goals and a draw is either the sign of a good side or a fecking lucky one. I'll let you lot decide which you think we are.

The latter. We were fortunate to leave with a point, despite at one stage leading.

I hope the new left-back we sign can play straight away because as hard as he grafts, Taylor's legs aren't up to it anymore.

Noone was excellent, and everywhere, and Olkowski looks like he's capable of playing at a higher level. The two of them complemented each other well on the right hand side.

Once Noone went off and we had to change our shape it was only ever going to be about whether we could hang on. All in all though, we certainly weren't terrible and competed well against a better team for an hour. If we had a good defensive midfielder to bring on in the second half, I dare say we'd have won it.

[mullayo]

Wow Rotterham won.
Reading last, with QPR on 0.
Then Stoke, Hull, Ipswich, Birmingham, Wednesday and Norwich with 1 point.

[truewhite15]

Defenders were fine. Nothing wrong with Taylor, Olkowski looks really good but was caught out of position once or twice.

Buckley was pretty poor. Noone was better, but both were stunted by the Bristol full backs pushing up so far. We were missing the spark that Ameobi would normally provide, and I don't think playing Vela, Lowe AND Murphy in midfield will help us at home. They're trying to perform the same job, and we need somebody more advanced. Magennis was so isolated. Looks like he and Alfie can form a decent partnership though.

[Peter Thompson]

To play that poorly and get 2 goals and a draw is either the sign of a good side or a fecking lucky one. I'll let you lot decide which you think we are.

Played poorly? Nonsense. Bristol were a good side and played well. We shouldn’t have conceded that second on the break, that was shocking. But we were organised and kept our shape and stuck to a gameplan.

Was a good performance where we nearly managed to beat a better side.

It was a good point even from being 2-0 up

A good performance ? you are either having a laugh or you watched with your eyes closed - we were poor, very poor at times....we played long ball yet again far too much, and Magennis couldn't win much, their two CB handled him well, but we had no one within 30 yards of him at times - we made Bristol City look like Barcelona, they passed the ball around us & through us for fun - the 1st 45 mins I don't think we put two passes together it was a dreadful 1st half from us.

Either we were shit or they were absolutely outstanding....they gave us a football lesson IMO, they out passed us, out fought us, looked fitter, and a yard quicker (our players looked like they had lead in the boots, or running through treacle), they were far more creative, far more attacking with 4 or 5 attackers at times 2nd half. A few of our players played ok, I can't think of one BWFC player who I thought had a good game & I haven't got a clue why we play Vela he does more pointing than running.

Tactically Parkinson didn't have a clue tactically how to stop them - he's just far too defensive, even at home we sat back all game, we didn't press them and generally let a far better team just have the ball, and the Noone substitution was baffling to say the least - he did not need to bring Le Fondre at all at that stage.

All told a very good point & 4 points from the 1st 2 games is excellent....Bristol City could push for the play offs based on that performance today - but seriously we were poor today & on that performance 4th bottom is the best that we can expect.

Oh and the referee was abysmal he must hate us for some reason from a previous game - he was very biased, I think we got about 4 free kicks all game. And a message for Ken Anderson please don't waste your time & money buying any creative players because Parkinson won't play them, because he still doesn't know how to attack teams.

[GhostoftheBok]

Right.

feck Brooks, for a start.

Mostly, that was okay. We lacked our main two wide players from the start and we had to adjust out game plan (I assume that was from the start, I missed the first few minutes). The equaliser was disgusting, to be honest, and I think the manager will go spare over both goals we conceded.

The shite was the same old shite - we need pace at the back to change it. The good stuff was organisation (we fell asleep a few times, but in general it was good) and the new signings still looking pretty good.

Too pissed off for much more than that. Regardless of anything else, dropping points like that is just not okay. At 2-0 up all we had to do was stay awake and we didn't.

[BWFC_Insane]

To play that poorly and get 2 goals and a draw is either the sign of a good side or a fecking lucky one. I'll let you lot decide which you think we are.

Played poorly? Nonsense. Bristol were a good side and played well. We shouldn’t have conceded that second on the break, that was shocking. But we were organised and kept our shape and stuck to a gameplan.

Was a good performance where we nearly managed to beat a better side.

It was a good point even from being 2-0 up

A good performance ? you are either having a laugh or you watched with your eyes closed - we were poor, very poor at times....we played long ball yet again far too much, and Magennis couldn't win much, their two CB handled him well, but we had no one within 30 yards of him at times - we made Bristol City look like Barcelona, they passed the ball around us & through us for fun - the 1st 45 mins I don't think we put two passes together it was a dreadful 1st half from us.

Either we were shit or they were absolutely outstanding....they gave us a football lesson IMO, they out passed us, out fought us, looked fitter, and a yard quicker (our players looked like they had lead in the boots, or running through treacle), they were far more creative, far more attacking with 4 or 5 attackers at times 2nd half. A few of our players played ok, I can't think of one BWFC player who I thought had a good game & I haven't got a clue why we play Vela he does more pointing than running.

Tactically Parkinson didn't have a clue tactically how to stop them - he's just far too defensive, even at home we sat back all game, we didn't press them and generally let a far better team just have the ball, and the Noone substitution was baffling to say the least - he did not need to bring Le Fondre at all at that stage.

All told a very good point & 4 points from the 1st 2 games is excellent....Bristol City could push for the play offs based on that performance today - but seriously we were poor today & on that performance 4th bottom is the best that we can expect.

Oh and the referee was abysmal he must hate us for some reason from a previous game - he was very biased, I think we got about 4 free kicks all game. And a message for Ken Anderson please don't waste your time & money buying any creative players because Parkinson won't play them, because he still doesn't know how to attack teams.

The gameplan was perfect till 2-0. We sat off them and let them play in front of us. They didn’t create much. We went two up and then the adrenaline got to us and we pressed the ball too high and they found space in behind us. They left lots forward.

Agreed with Alan Gowling on the radio that it’s tough when teams do what Bristol did and effectively played their full backs as wingers. They have better players than we do and it shows that when we tried to squeeze in their own half they could cut through us.

You are always going to complain with how we play. It’s just the way it is. As Alan Gowling says with what we’ve got it’s how we must play because once we open up teams can just go through us.

We missed Ameobi. But what a buy Magennis looks.

[Peter Thompson]

The gameplan was perfect till 2-0. We sat off them and let them play in front of us. They didn’t create much. We went two up and then the adrenaline got to us and we pressed the ball too high and they found space in behind us. They left lots forward.

Agreed with Alan Gowling on the radio that it’s tough when teams do what Bristol did and effectively played their full backs as wingers. They have better players than we do and it shows that when we tried to squeeze in their own half they could cut through us.

You are always going to complain with how we play. It’s just the way it is. As Alan Gowling says with what we’ve got it’s how we must play because once we open up teams can just go through us.

We missed Ameobi. But what a buy Magennis looks.

What a load of absolute bollocks as usual from 'Mr know it all', if we play well I'll say so & when we are poor I won't dress it up like you do - I'll tell it as I saw it.

You certainly watched a different game to me & many others (read the other forums from people who went today), most are saying that we were poor - you say they didn't create much - are you serious, if they could finish they could have scored 6 or 7 and they should have a pen at the start of the 2nd half, it was like Men against boys at times our midfield just sat off them all game and they passed it around us & through us.

There is no shame in getting a point from a very good Bristol City team....but lets not dress it up as a good Bolton performance.

[GhostoftheBok]

We looked like a team that was fondly remembering beat West Brom and had forgotten to run at times in the first half, but we picked it up. Parky clearly sent them out to spoil the game and play like underdogs and I think Insane is right when he talks about the gameplan going okay. That's not to say we played well, we didn't, but we weren't dreadful either.

We needed more bite in the tackle, we needed to be further up the pitch (but pace terrifies us) and we needed to get the ball down a bit more. We did that better from the break until 2-0, then we lost our heads. It was an unsurprising game, given the options we have to work with. We know we lack creativity and we know that we lack pace and power out wide when Wildschut and Ameobi aren't on the pitch.

Unless the team options change, Parky isn't going to try and do anything other than spoil and scrap. He improves players, but he's not the sort to turn hoofers into footballers. We knew all this already.

What Parky did would have worked had the players not switched off (also if the officials had done their fecking jobs).

[Bijou Bob]

PP got it badly wrong today for me. First half we were way too pedestrian and allowed them to regroup in front of us on the rare occasions we had possession.

If you're going to play a holding front man, your supporting midfielders have to get beyond him. No matter how hard Maggenis worked, no one ever got behind him in the first half.

At one nil up, PP warmed up Hobbs and it looked like we were going 3-5-2, which would have shored up the right hand side, where we were getting paggered every time they came forward. Instead, he takes off Noone and exposes our new Polish bloke even more. 3-5-2 and that second goal doesn't happen.

Still, 4 points from 2, I'd have taken that last week. Buckley can't play at this level and we desperately need someone who can put a foot on the ball and bring our wide men into play quickly. Oztumer??

It's going to be a hard season, but there were basic tactical mistakes today for me, which could make it much harder if PP doesn't reflect on it and react to the issues he sees in play.

[dave the minion]

To play that poorly and get 2 goals and a draw is either the sign of a good side or a fecking lucky one. I'll let you lot decide which you think we are.

feck it - I'll take either, don't care.

4 points from 2 tough openers, I'm fine with that. ...

[GhostoftheBok]

To play that poorly and get 2 goals and a draw is either the sign of a good side or a fecking lucky one. I'll let you lot decide which you think we are.

feck it - I'll take either, don't care.

4 points from 2 tough openers, I'm fine with that. ...

Bristol had made wholesale changes at the back and lost their main defender, they were always going to give us a couple of chances and our only job was to keep solid and manage them when they came forward. We bollocksed that part up a bit, but a point is a point.

[Peter Thompson]

PP got it badly wrong today for me. First half we were way too pedestrian and allowed them to regroup in front of us on the rare occasions we had possession.

If you're going to play a holding front man, your supporting midfielders have to get beyond him. No matter how hard Maggenis worked, no one ever got behind him in the first half.

At one nil up, PP warmed up Hobbs and it looked like we were going 3-5-2, which would have shored up the right hand side, where we were getting paggered every time they came forward. Instead, he takes off Noone and exposes our new Polish bloke even more. 3-5-2 and that second goal doesn't happen.

Still, 4 points from 2, I'd have taken that last week. Buckley can't play at this level and we desperately need someone who can put a foot on the ball and bring our wide men into play quickly. Oztumer??

It's going to be a hard season, but there were basic tactical mistakes today for me, which could make it much harder if PP doesn't reflect on it and react to the issues he sees in play.

Oztumer will be lucky to play 10 games this season....Parkinson will not have a clue how to use him.

I agree that Buckley was poor, but Vela was worse much worse & he also looked like he had put a few pounds on....at times with Vela its like playing with 10 men as he's a passenger, he just stands still & points at people.

Another thing that pissed me off several times today, from goal kicks all 20 outfield players were within 30 yards off each other in the centre of the pitch, both Noone & Wildschut several times pulled wide to the touchline to give us an option & spread the play, but time & time again Parkinson ushered them back into the mix in the middle of the pitch....

[GhostoftheBok]

Oztumer will be lucky to play 10 games this season....Parkinson will not have a clue how to use him.

I agree that Buckley was poor, but Vela was worse much worse & he also looked like he had put a few pounds on....at times with Vela its like playing with 10 men as he's a passenger, he just stands still & points at people.

Another thing that pissed me off several times today, from goal kicks all 20 outfield players were within 30 yards off each other in the centre of the pitch, both Noone & Wildschut several times pulled wide to the touchline to give us an option & spread the play, but time & time again Parkinson ushered them back into the mix in the middle of the pitch....

I have similar concerns about Oztumer, but the other view is that he will provide the one flair player the team - which is how English teams used to work all the time.

The issue with goal kicks is that we only have one option. Alnwick can't precision kick and the centre backs can't play football. If we try to "spread the play" we're going to give away throw ins more than we get near the ball. If we try to play out from the back we will mess it up. So we have to go long and then we need all the bodies there for the 2nd ball.

[BWFC_Insane]

PP got it badly wrong today for me. First half we were way too pedestrian and allowed them to regroup in front of us on the rare occasions we had possession.

If you're going to play a holding front man, your supporting midfielders have to get beyond him. No matter how hard Maggenis worked, no one ever got behind him in the first half.

At one nil up, PP warmed up Hobbs and it looked like we were going 3-5-2, which would have shored up the right hand side, where we were getting paggered every time they came forward. Instead, he takes off Noone and exposes our new Polish bloke even more. 3-5-2 and that second goal doesn't happen.

Still, 4 points from 2, I'd have taken that last week. Buckley can't play at this level and we desperately need someone who can put a foot on the ball and bring our wide men into play quickly. Oztumer??

It's going to be a hard season, but there were basic tactical mistakes today for me, which could make it much harder if PP doesn't reflect on it and react to the issues he sees in play.

I don’t think I’d have gone 3-5-2 at any point today. The problem was Noone, who had a good games was tiring possibly had taken a knock too. And we didn’t have a natural replacement given they were pushing their left back right up. He tried to go 4-4-2 with O’Neil there and to be honest that wasn’t why we conceded the second. We got caught on the break with too many committed forward for he corner. Did think Wheater was fouled like.

I thought Buckley was ok today. He put himself about better than last week, but clearly we missed Ameobi. Get him fit and Wildschut and Magennis and we look a real handful. 3 physical quick forward. I think that could be a handful for teams.

I’d like to see Vela play deeper and Oztumer in his role. But we have to pick the right game to do that in. Against weaker sides at home. Couldn’t cope with that in a game like today.

[Bruce Rioja]

To play that poorly and get 2 goals and a draw is either the sign of a good side or a fecking lucky one. I'll let you lot decide which you think we are.

Played poorly? Nonsense. Bristol were a good side and played well. We shouldn’t have conceded that second on the break, that was shocking. But we were organised and kept our shape and stuck to a gameplan.

Was a good performance where we nearly managed to beat a better side.

Need to see it again but Parky's saying that Wheater was 'pole-axed' as they broke out of their box. The way I saw it was that Wheats went to ground under no pressure looking to blag a free-kick 20 yards out. We didn't get it, they broke at a blistering pace, the ball bounced over the right-back's head, we were all over the place at the back and their lad finished nicely. Parky also reckons that their first was offside - I have no opinion on that though as I didn't have an appropriate view.

[Peter Thompson]

Oztumer will be lucky to play 10 games this season....Parkinson will not have a clue how to use him.

I agree that Buckley was poor, but Vela was worse much worse & he also looked like he had put a few pounds on....at times with Vela its like playing with 10 men as he's a passenger, he just stands still & points at people.

Another thing that pissed me off several times today, from goal kicks all 20 outfield players were within 30 yards off each other in the centre of the pitch, both Noone & Wildschut several times pulled wide to the touchline to give us an option & spread the play, but time & time again Parkinson ushered them back into the mix in the middle of the pitch....

I have similar concerns about Oztumer, but the other view is that he will provide the one flair player the team - which is how English teams used to work all the time.

The issue with goal kicks is that we only have one option. Alnwick can't precision kick and the centre backs can't play football. If we try to "spread the play" we're going to give away throw ins more than we get near the ball. If we try to play out from the back we will mess it up. So we have to go long and then we need all the bodies there for the 2nd ball.

But he won't though will he because he'll hardly play (apart from cup games or in the last 15/20 mins as a sub), as I said Parkinson will not have a clue how to use a flair player....IMO today at 2-1 we needed someone to get on the ball & try and keep possession and bring Wildschut into the game, as we kept giving the ball away as we did all game and Vela should have been the one to come off for Oztumer not Noone for ALF.

In regards to messing it up if we try to play out from the back - that is a very sad refection on our managers ability to coach and also our players ability is it not....I'm sure that most of the players who we brought in this summer played out from the back at times at their previous clubs....so even with these new better quality players we now have we still have to hoof it all the time, is that what you are saying ?