Undoutably the games against Manchester put our players in the shop window , and potentially led to the exodus that is now happening. It could well have caused the dip in form that potentially stopped us getting promotion . In hindsight would we have been better off had we not had the cup run at all?
The wheels came off the train after the 0-5 loss at Aston Villa and you would have thought that could be the kick up the arse they needed to get back in the race for promotion. Instead they virtually packed their bags and fled for the hills never to return to form, and the opportunity of a lifetime was squandered and, despite the assurances that we would invest during the January transfer window to bolster the squad nothing happened of any note. How on earth we were allowed to have 2 halves to our season without someone of importance noticing that the second one was a total disaster in every aspect and then ignoring our plight put the icing on a tasteless cake.
I'll remember the Man Utd game for years to come so I wouldn't have traded that for anything less than promotion.
That's exactly how I feel as well - will never forget Korey's goal and the celebrations around the ground ..... then the realisation that there was about 30 seconds left and we were going to win
I said to me 26 year old son when the final whistle went, enjoy this moment you will remember it for the rest of your life
I personally think those 2 games ended any chance we had of going for promotion . Said so at the time and therefore didn’t go to either so not hindsight, personally would have preferred to go all out for promotion when we could have played both and all the orher top PL teams twice next season at least . Also put our players in the spotlight and led to the mass exodus we have now., You still happy with our 15 mins of fame?
If there was a straight choice between the two then you'd obviously choose promotion (as I've already said), but I think it's ridiculous to suggest that had we not had that Cup run that we would've magicked up an additional 24 points to go up automatically, or be guaranteed to win the playoffs. You still happy to discard our best Cup win in decades?
Yes . No contest. Personally what I still remember all these years on is years playing in the top division. Cup wins are special I agree , I remember Liverpool at Anfield , but no contest . We were stretched enough with injuries as it was , not a question of magican up another 24 points as we were already in the mix , more a question of not losing momentum, which we did and then couldn’t get it back, and then consequently lost points we never should have. Whilst not the only reason, you surely can’t deny it had an effect , or was on coincidence shortly after they looked knackered and their form dropped. The mass exodus now is also partly as a result of the good showing and national exposure our players received and the subsequent loss of form. Obviously things must have gone on behind the scenes too that we will never know about , but all these players leaving at once is no coincidence.
That is the question though, because that was the amount we missed out by. If you're going to judge retrospectively that our run contributed to some of our players leaving because they were 'in the shop window' (as if full-time professional scouts wouldn't otherwise have heard of them) then you need to accept the points gap also. Even if it is true that it was contributory but not the sole reason, the other reasons would be independent of the run, so wouldn't have been avoided. If back in December you thought LJ should have put out the kids like he had against Plymouth, then fair enough, but I think myself and the majority of fans would have been highly disappointed with that decision & come the end of the season, had we almost certainly still missed out on promotion, I reckon fans like you would have used it as another stick to criticise LJ with, rather than say 'fair enough, he made the right decision to focus on the league'. Tell me I'm wrong.
Mike, your accurate description of our "second half" last season together with the number of players we've shipped in the closed season is what is beginning to give me the collywobbles. Hence my post "Ambitious Club or Nursery". I know we have until the 9th August before the window closes and I also understand that a domino effect happens towards the end of the window once players and agents get anxious but if Bristol City FC is genuinely attractive to potential new employees, I'd expect to see more incomings before pre season and not on August 8th. Knowing your personnel, building a strong sense of togetherness and a quality pre season is vital to hit the ground running once the new season begins. Failure to start the new season strongly means catch up and at best another season of two halves!
Genuinely Nick I felt at the time we should have used the same players we used to get there , bearing in mind we’d alreafy beaten several PL sides to get there. I thought it was a mistake , said so at the time, and out of principle I didn’t go , I actually let someone on here buy my ticket . No obviously it’s impossible to know what would have happened if we’d have taken the option I suggested , but it is fact that I thought taking the route we chose would back fire and I can legitimately say ‘ I told you so,
I will admit that I balled my eyes out during the Man Utd match and thought that perhaps we did have something special at last, but ended up disappointed. As far as the upcoming season is concerned I have my doubts that we will have enough ammunition on board to put up a reasonable fight during the early rounds of the competition, but time could prove me wrong.
For the League Cup my view is play the kids/2nd string & if you get through some rounds consider playing a stronger team.
I can , because I did , it is actually a fact . if the.limit of your ambition is that we beat Man U on one given day that’s your prerogative, and yes you will be content , personally mine are higher , I want the club to get into the PL and play these teams on a regular basis , so that playing Man U and beating them becomes the norm and not a one off you will remember for a lifetime. My opinion was , and still is , we had more chance of achieving that aim by concentrating our entire efforts on that goal. All opinion of course like I said we will never know what would have happened , but it is fact that what I feared would happen actually did .
