Subtle Warning to Bristol City Players

I don't think he needs to be subtle, he needs to show them their results over the last 2 months and also remind them of some poor performances.

Its easy for the Manager taking the blame when it appears he's bulletproof anyway, but the fans will let him know when they've heard the same excuse enough times if nothing improves.

 

Mr Johnson has abandoned the way the team played.

The introduction of Kent, Diony, Famara, yes injury and the move to the long ball has seen the teams form take a real down turn. Parts of this should be expected and to be accommodated via the squad, parts are controlled by Mr Johnson.

If you are going down the route of by passing midfield. Get players to fit that football.

There are shades here of last season. Too much change and changing the system for individuals rather than individuals fitting into the system.

 

The trouble is we need Reid to play up front not in Midfield.
We need to stop lumping balls up to Diedhiou all the time. Once or twice when needed is fine but not as a plan A. We need to rediscover playing through the midfield again as that was our strength before - hitting teams on the break.
I wish the January window hadn’t happened to be honest - I don’t think it’s been helpful. Of course I hope to be proved wrong............
Hopefully O’Dowda and Pisano will return soon which will help.

 

'I’ll bring in the guys that will play the system' - Sorry but I don't understand.

He manifestly has the players to play the 'system', proof is before Christmas.
I'm concerned he's clouding the issue, against Cardiff LJ chose different players in a different system.
He can't have it both ways.

January 2018 is very similar to January 2008 other than I don't think we'll make the play offs this time.

 

Fielding; Wright, Flint, Baker, Mags; Brownhill, Pack, Smith, Bryan; Paterson; Reid.

That essentially was playing often brilliantly.

Why totally abandon that focus? Its an almost unfathomable question to answer.

 

But why would he do that? If it was a deliberate action, was it necessary or forced upon him by circumstances?

This doesn't appear to be a recent thing just in deference to the team you played yesterday, it's been more longer term than that probably since your New Year 5-0 defeat at Villa. Seems more like a radical change of approach away from the stuff that brought you early season success.

I wonder did the return from injury of Diedhiou and the January acquisition of Diony mark the start of the change in system. The old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" isn't always right because if you don't try new things you'll never improve, but at the moment the change seems to be for the worse.

The bigger problem could be dissent creeping into the camp between manager and players. There are early signs of that in his post match comments and if there's one thng you need going into this run in it's unity.

 

I wonder did the return from injury of Diedhiou and the January acquisition of Diony mark the start of the change in system ... Yes alongside the loan of Kent. Kent did not fit in with the style of play as he wants to dribble not move the ball simple, quick and early. The other two do not pay as Patterson and Reid did. Physically and technically they cannot, and vice versa.

That is three players out of eleven. It is three out of the 4 and 2 in 4-4-2. These three mean Bristol City cannot play the way they did formerly.

I cannot really answer the opening question because it does not make sense to radically change to something entirely different. A possible answer is Mr Johnson has tried to create alternatives to teams going 4-5-1 etc with deep lines v Bristol City. These teams have had some success against Bristol City slowing the passing down and blocking channels. Option used was stick Flint up front, hit Flint with ball. This is now hit Diony and Diedhiou. A better option to my mind was stick to what you are good and at times very good at, looking at the marginal improvements which could have been made e.g Keepers distribution, transitions ... ​

 

We could not stay with the same team/formation - they were already knackered - had to use the players coming back

 

'We could not stay with the same team/formation - they were already knackered - had to use the players coming back'
So who's knackered ?

Flint, Wright, Fielding, Korey, Bryan, Brownhill, Pack, Reid etc etc haven't been dropped because they were, as you say, knackered.
They've been ever present.

LJ has, and it's his right, to change the players and style.
Unsuccessfully.

 

So the Mr Johnson has brought back players, and brought players in that cannot play the way he was playing earlier in the season?

You are right.

It is not just fatigue and wear and tear. Its instruction. There was a post on here about somebody wanting to see the high press back again. So would I, but pressing as BCFC did is related also to the way a team passes the ball/distance to lost possession. The way Mr Johnson has instructed the team to klump it would mean the team would be knackered chasing it to get it back. Reid would have to do 20km now.

 

IMO since the Villa defeat, I think LJ has tried an instant cure but instead has upset the apple cart.. The balance and the style of the side has gone completely. Takes a long time for players to play in certain positions for other players to know what each are going to do (not very well explained). The one touch passing we had going can only happen when each player knows, where to be and the strength of pass that will be delivered... I fear a disruption within the squad, new players, change of style, change of delivery has taken us back a step...The added pressure of the position we were in along with the League cup has taken it's toll on the players and the manager..
In all honesty I think most of our performances have been pretty poor since Villa apart from the Man C game. It's going to take a massive improvement to restore the confidence that we once had..

 

Lack of strength in depth and injuries to key players for long periods was bound to catch up with us eventually, we did well to last as long as we did imo.
Now we have to keep our heads and regroup. We are still 6th and have as good a run in as anyone,
On the bright side if we can manage to regain belief and form between now and the end of the season we will be in good form for the play offs , teams that are on form at the moment hopefully will have peaked too early.

 

I think if you listen to his interview on BCTV, im sure he admits he tried changing things, but it hasn't worked and to me LJ is saying he will go back to the old way, hopefully. He says he tried to match the physicality of Baadiff................why? play our game, Barcelona don't seem to worry about having little players, nor the Spanish national team........they seem to be doing quite well don't they? Just play our way and impose ourselves on the other teams, make them find ways to adapt, not us!
As I said hopefully we will go back to playing with our little 'uns, and play our way of quick, one-two touch, high tempo with closing down football.
By the way i think our little 'uns can get stuck in quite well too........................what do you guys think?

Funnily it was when his dad GJ signed Adebola, that we started to play long ball football and not passing football when it all fell apart too then,wasnt it?

 

Always been my thoughts regarding Adebola, we never played the same once we signed him.....not saying he was a bad player, but defiantly changed and disrupted the style that we had at the time..

 

yeah i too liked him, but had a detrimental affect on team and performances, don't want that to happen again.

 

O'Dowda apart Lee Johnson can play the team that was flying. Chooses not too.

 

The results are as bad as his last bad run.He clearly knows things ain’t right,either him or the players take the blame.
First moves by him is to blame the players.
For me his subs have been mind boggling over the last couple of months.

 

we don't need players who are defiant we need players that fit in and do as requested ...............