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

[GhostoftheBok]

Yes cheers GOTB, your posts are decent and show a degree of knowledge & experience.

Thanks. It's not always easy to make sense with a newborn screaming in your ear.

I will, by the way, stick my neck out and say we have a chance against Leeds. Clearly I'm

[Jugs]

Few things from me:

Lowe and Murphy - neither are as scary as Henry

Lowe, Murphy and Vela in the same starting 11 are gonna win us few games. Get Otz in there or get another CAM (Ireland?)

Magennis looks awesome

Buckley has had a year to wake up and still looks asleep

[nicholaldo]

There was a complete lack of intensity & energy in the first 20 mins, which then became a lack of intensity in the first 30 & then the entire 1st half.

Whether that was down to coaching (or the lack of it), management instruction or the players themselves only the manager & coaching staff will know.

Serious question not a wind up or anything - player for player are Bristol City that much better than us in terms of their players being very comfortable on the ball, being much quicker, much more energetic, more physical, moving the ball a lot quicker and their players generally looking a division or so higher than ours - have they spend millions or is there manager better tactically ?

Because I actually thought that they were missing a few of their best players & had sold a really good LB - I didn't expect that today from them, but they seriously impressed me today in how they played football on the front foot for the full 90 mins, they ran rings round us for the majority of the game.

Yes, they're that much better. It's to be expected though, because they've spent close to £20M compared to our £200K. We're competing at a different level (though obviously in the same league) and relative to our resources, we put up a half decent fist of it.

[Peter Thompson]

Yes, they're that much better. It's to be expected though, because they've spent close to £20M compared to our £200K. We're competing at a different level (though obviously in the same league) and relative to our resources, we put up a half decent fist of it.

Cheers - but I'm shocked, how on earth can they afford this ? - if they have spent 20M in the championship then yes its no surprise that they were so much better than us today, when we've only spent £200k, which like you say means today was a decent point and we did at least try, well in the 2nd half sort of. But if Bristol City can spend £20M unless KA sells to someone with a pot to piss in then this is the best we can hope for, which is hardly going to attract the missing supporters.

[GhostoftheBok]

how on earth can they afford this ?

They've brought in over 20mil in transfer fees.

[nicholaldo]

Sorry, yes, they've brought in triple the amount that they've spent, which equates to about £10M. Nevertheless, financially we're worlds apart.

[jmjhb]

Bristol C have brought lots of players in and sold a hell of a lot more over recent years, it's not a bad example to follow really

[mullayo]

We turtled (4-5-1) again, this time at home where it looks a little silly. I was expecting - and at the same time dreading - a more attacking formation but Parky played percentages, pencilling-in a 0-0 and getting a 2-2. Without SAmeobi and with John Brooks that was a good result.

Player ratings.

Alnwick 7: More to do this week. Couple of good saves but thought he could have done better on the second goal with the angle.

Olki 7: Like everyone else not as crisp with his passing as last week. Still a class player a standard above most of our squad

Wheater 6: Couple of good challenges and headers but burnt by like he was a statue twice.

Beevers 6: Fine but gave up corners with lazy clearances - all the team did, it was as if they didn't rate Bristol's setpieces at all.

Taylor 6: Tradesman like effort. Another happy to concede corners. He's a decent backup.

Noone 7: His energy and desire was on show today. Worked hard with Olki, Still has no end product. He'd be best retrained as a fullback tbf. Unlucky to be behind SAmeobi our real difference maker. Can he play on the left? Left fullback?

Lowe 7: Not the intercepts this week, but tough and timely nonetheless. One of the few comfortable at this level.

Murphy 6: Anonymous again mainly doing the dirty work. Competent enough but 'm hoping with fitness we'll get another level out of him. Imagine if he hadn't fallen into our laps? So lucky Luke.

Vela 6: Ran around again. We've invested a lot of game time into this lad and he's slowly starting to look more comfortable. Need to retain him or make a profit, we've put too much in.

Buckley 6: Journeyman effort again. Just a little below par for a championship player. When other wingers get in the final third you get excited, when Buckley does you're relieved if he can fluke a corner. He's a backup but Wildschut can't last 90 with the workrate Parky requires.

Magennis 8: Did well in his half of the field. If the ref JOHN BROOK wasn't a complete joke he would have been effective too. Won more turnovers than our midfield and got his second goal in two weeks. We have 4 points and he's the reason. Not only battling away but encouraging others at set pieces. Best $200K we've spent, even Ken is fine with shelling out that fee.

[bristol_Wanderer3]

Very intriguing game, two hugely contrasting styles. Lee Johnson went full Guardiola, with the left back taking starting positions in left midfield, passing and probing from one end to the other, no recognized out and out striker, and lots of interchanging of positions. Parky went full Parky, hard work, minimal possession, men behind the ball, long balls up to Magennis, rely on set pieces.

First half they dominated possession but no real chances for either side. Second half, we had our only spell when we were on top and scored two goals. After that however, no doubt helped by a quick reply to quickly get back to 2-1, they started to play more incisive passes, and so rip us open at will, and the minimum they deserved was a point, and they should really have won it. I am not quite sure why we suddenly became so vulnerable, our midfield seemed unable to contain theirs, and they were getting into positions to play passes through our defence. Perhaps tiredness, but we lost any grip we had in the last 20 minutes.

Magennis was our best player, I can see him becoming a £5m+ player very soon. He is strong, durable, quick and at this moment in time a decent finisher. I thought his weakness would be finishing with his feet, but the way he kept his cool and took his chance suggests he isn't bad at that either.

Owlowski, Alnwick and Noone had good games I felt. The rest struggled.

All in all, on the day Bristol City were excellent. They have a new defence/goalie with three new players and a rookie 19 year old left back, and at times it showed with lack of communication and understanding, but their play through midfield was excellent. Despite being 2-0 up I see this as a point gained. This is what makes the Championship so compelling, enterprising managers and clash of philosophies and systems.

[DJBlu]

Magennis's goal was excellent. Rolls the ball to get half a yard then knocks it, all whilst holding off the defender.

Strong, confident and composed.

Carries on like this we'll struggle to keep hold of him.

Disappointed about conceding those two goals however optimism mode has kicked in.

2 games unbeaten with our striker scoring in both games. I'd have ripped your right arm off for 4 points and 4 goals.

Onwards and upwards.

[TKIZ!]

Magennis's goal was excellent. Rolls the ball to get half a yard then knocks it, all whilst holding off the defender.

Strong, confident and composed.

Carries on like this we'll struggle to keep hold of him.

Disappointed about conceding those two goals however optimism mode has kicked in.

2 games unbeaten with our striker scoring in both games. I'd have ripped your right arm off for 4 points and 4 goals.

Onwards and upwards.

Sums it up for me. Most commentators/journalists have us as favourites for relegation going into the season. To have 4 on the board and feel slightly disappointed it's not 6 will do for me. Think Oztumer should have been brought on for Vela or Murphy as it's a home game.

Don't agree that Parky is not asking them to go forward, he consistently came to the line yesterday asking them to push up and Wheats got them to drop back. Work in progress and there are shades of Burnley (who were also built of a similar ilk)

[BWFC_Insane]

Yes, they're that much better. It's to be expected though, because they've spent close to £20M compared to our £200K. We're competing at a different level (though obviously in the same league) and relative to our resources, we put up a half decent fist of it.

Cheers - but I'm shocked, how on earth can they afford this ? - if they have spent 20M in the championship then yes its no surprise that they were so much better than us today, when we've only spent £200k, which like you say means today was a decent point and we did at least try, well in the 2nd half sort of. But if Bristol City can spend £20M unless KA sells to someone with a pot to piss in then this is the best we can hope for, which is hardly going to attract the missing supporters.

See I think a problem we have is a lot of our fans haven’t got their heads around the fact that we are currently a very small fish in the championship. Financially we aren’t competitive at all and will be bottom 4/5 in terms of spending. Last year was even worse and a miracle we stayed up.

The championship has changed in the past 5 years and it’s now a mini premiership for a dozen or so teams.

And yes we will have to make the best of it unless someone with a lot of cash to throw away rocks up.

[TANGODANCER]

Last year we constantly had fans moaning about chances missed and goal not scored. Today we scored the goals but the chance missed was that of taking the points. Against a better side (most views?) we let it slip a bit but still got a point. We've already hauled ourselves off the base camp and up the lower slopes; just keep plugging and keep the attitudes right and we'll be fine. I haven't read anywhere about Bristol being robbed, nor about the poor reffing. We're on track, keep it going.

[TKIZ!]

Last year we constantly had fans moaning about chances missed and goal not scored. Today we scored the goals but the chance missed was that of taking the points. Against a better side (most views?) we let it slip a bit but still got a point. We've already hauled ourselves off the base camp and up the lower slopes; just keep plugging and keep the attitudes right and we'll be fine. I haven't read anywhere about Bristol being robbed, nor about the poor reffing. We're on track, keep it going.

Well said, TD

[Lost Leopard Spot]

And another thing.......£3.10 for a fecking pie??!

I'd quite happily shell out £5 for a pie.
So long as a) it was actually fecking cooked all the way through and wasn't burnt on one side and fxcking raw on the other, b) actually contained the ingredients that it was advertised as containing, and c) was a actually a pie and not just a crust lid residing on some slimey stodge masquerading as a a cooked dough concoction...

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I'm stunned we're in seventh. It won't last.

[DJBlu]

I'm stunned we're in seventh. It won't last.

Agree, we'll be 5th next week.

[GhostoftheBok]

Agree, we'll be 5th next week.

If we do okay on Tuesday we could well be higher. Leeds have destroyed two promotion hopefuls (Stoke and Derby), but those sides tried to play out from the back and got caught by the press time and again. They also both got hit on the counter over and over.

Leeds have a ton of energy and really high work rate, but they're built to press sides that need possession. We don't give a flying wottsit about possession and their centre backs may struggle against Magennis' power. They're playing Berardi and Cooper at centre back, so they can play out as a passing side - but the Swiss lad is 5'10" and Cooper is just 6', as I recall. If Magennis can keep his energy levels up he'll have fun there.

I'll be going. Should be interesting.

*edit* I'm a moron, it's a cup game.

[GhostoftheBok]

*ignore*

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Agree, we'll be 5th next week.

If we do okay on Tuesday we could well be higher. Leeds have destroyed two promotion hopefuls (Stoke and Derby), but those sides tried to play out from the back and got caught by the press time and again. They also both got hit on the counter over and over.

Leeds have a ton of energy and really high work rate, but they're built to press sides that need possession. We don't give a flying wottsit about possession and their centre backs may struggle against Magennis' power. They're playing Berardi and Cooper at centre back, so they can play out as a passing side - but the Swiss lad is 5'10" and Cooper is just 6', as I recall. If Magennis can keep his energy levels up he'll have fun there.

I'll be going. Should be interesting.

*edit* I'm a moron, it's a cup game.

I'm confused by this, what's Tuesday got to do with our position after next Saturday's matches?

Edit: Fair enough, just seen the *ignore*