It's time for Lee Tomlin to deliver - should Bristol City boss Johnson let him loose against Burton? By a_stockhausen Lee Tomlin came off the bench for Bristol City in the loss against Aston Villa in midweek. Cometh the hour, cometh the man – now is the time for Lee Tomlin to deliver for Bristol City. Billed as a crucial game, both for Robins head coach Lee Johnson and his team, Saturday's Championship relegation showdown against Burton Albion represents a contest of the must-win variety for the Robins. And the stage is set for talismanic fans' favourite Tomlin to produce the kind of performance he and his team-mates know he is capable of at a time when his manager needs it most. By his own admission, the former Middlesbrough and Bournemouth attacker has failed to reproduce his very best form on a consistent basis this season, leaving Johnson with little option but to relegate him to the substitutes' bench in recent times. But the proverbial "six-pointer" against Nigel Clough's Burton might just be the ideal game for Tomlin to return to the starting line-up and repay Johnson for the faith he showed in him when signing him on a permanent basis last summer. There are compelling tactical reasons why this could be the ideal game in which to bring him back into the fold. Unlike last Saturday's demanding fixture against Championship leaders Newcastle at St James Park, a home fixture against lowly Burton presents an opportunity for City to establish an advantage in terms of possession. Whereas the need was for energy and athleticism on Tyneside, the requirement on Saturday will be for clever play-makers with an eye for a pass, individuals with the talent and vision to open up a packed defence and create something out of nothing. Determined not give away his team selection, Johnson kept his cards close to his chest when I spoke to him earlier today. But he did say: "I think it's going to be a different game. At the very worst, possession will be shared equally in this game and I expect us take more of the ball. "We have to make a judgment on the players who have played two Premier League games in a few days and use every tool in our box to make sure we get the result we need. "Lee Tomlin is a valuable member of our squad and always will be. In the right environment, he is an absolute match-winner. I'll assess the energy levels of the squad and it could well be this time). This is a game Lee Tomlin could light up if I choose to select him." If Johnson's requirement was for runners in the previous two away games, he now needs strong characters, players who will not be adversely affected by what could be an anxiety-filled atmosphere inside Ashton Gate on Saturday. Supremely confident in his own ability and prepared to try anything, no matter how audacious and no matter what the situation, Tomlin has the capacity to thrive in the kind of environment that inhibits others. Certainly, selecting him from the outset will help bring wavering fans on-side and create a more positive mood during the all-important opening exchanges that will serve to set the tone. Johnson added: "One of Tommo's real strengths is that he plays like he's a kid in a playground. When he's at it and confident, he plays like he did against Sheffield Wednesday, with an element of belief. "When he plays with that focus and concentration, he can be truly inspirational, and that is what we want from him. We want inspirational leaders and that was definitely what he gave us at the back end of last season." Read more at http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/it-s-t...0174611-detail/story.html#jCzPFuwqU4cAbg6g.99
Now if Leapy can get over his pride issues and put his little bit of grey matter into gear, we may get a result, if not I hope we get rid of him post haste, the sooner the better and we can all breathe some fresh air..
He is the main feed writer for Bristol City FC info in the local press, I am going to continue using him and all other authors that are used by that local paper, if you can find a more interesting stream please share it with us, if you don't have interest in my contribution don't read it and stop whining about the bloke. As I have said I do the best I can with the info I can gather, a lot of our other members do enjoy the updates..
calm down, you do a good job posting all these quotes... and quiz's much appreciated as I have often posted .. AS and the Post stuff I just do not have a preference for .. indeed you yourself may have commented on its inaccuracies? note I say "may" but still report it to the masses on here, which is good, and most would not actively seek it out ... you do and don't stop .. freedom of expression and all that
We all appreciate the work done behind the scenes by our mods because without them this site would fall by the wayside. Right now we are experiencing some difficult times at Bristol City and the posts/comments reflect that sad fact, so we have to keep in our minds that due to the unrest at Ashton Gate some turbulence can be expected. We all have our club's best interests at heart and the comments made here aren't designed to upset people but rather to voice our individual concerns and to get feedback from those offering a different view, which should never lead to unwarranted negativity. Who knows where we go from here and the only uniting factor is our love for Bristol City.
I would play him. Tammy is likely out and Djuric doubtful. We need that maverick type of player to set us apart in this game. I don't think we can try for a drab 1-0. Out record of defending leads isn't good. it was only earlier on that I saw how bad out away form is. Just 10 points away. Only Rotherham (with 1) is worse.
I would say yes. Burton may park up, and then Tomlin's ability on the ball could get us out of jail. I would play an attacking side, maybe start 442 and then go to 352 if we need to dissect them.
Do I think Tomlin should start ? Absolutely yes. It's not that simple - LJ has killed him. LJ is killing all things City. Win this w/e and Norwich this Tuesday and we'll all be having the same rows next season. Junior's toxic - end of.
Nobody wants us to lose but getting rid of Lee should have happened ages ago. The biggest problem from my point of view is that I can't stand seeing and hearing all this toxicity.
'So you want us to lose?' 1For - I didn't join in the 'We want Johnson out chant'. I never have and won't be booing should it go tits up tomorrow. However, if we're going to lose I don't want it by one. Seems Lansdown needs to be kicked in the b*lls to know it hurts, I therefore, very reluctantly hope it's by 3 or 4. Lansdown has managed to divide our fans and will get worse before it gets better.
Not too often I agree with RP in regards to LJ (on other issues I do frequantly), however he's right, if we lose 1-0 to say a deflected effort as we seem to have a lot lately, then it's easy to say we were unlucky and LJ will continue, a 2,3 or 4 goal spanking will surely force SL's hand. I like LJ, I never bought into the grief he got as a player, and I like many on here voiced concern when he was appointed, as we all knew it was too soon and he didn't have the experience or credentials at this level. Things started out OK, but the test comes when things don't go well and he has failed that test miserably. I always support our managers and always hope things will tun around and I'd love that to be the case with LJ, but I just don't see it and fear if we stick with him we will go down.
I get that. I think if we lose tomorrow, it will be the nail in the coffin for LJ. Not sure where he could go from there if I'm honest..
Yep if it gets him gone 100%,this cannot and should not go on any longer. If it gives us a chance of staying up,then it has to be done. I Don't think we have a chance with him in charge.
