please log in to view this image Bobby Reid scored his fourth goal in three Championship games this season please log in to view this image Josh Brownhill in Action. Bobby Reid scored in the eighth minute of added time as Bristol City snatched a late draw against Brentford. Reid pounced on a rebound from Bees goalkeeper Daniel Bentley to cancel out the hosts' second-half comeback. Josh Brownhill opened the scoring for City when he fired into the bottom corner from Famara Diedhiou's cut-back. Frank Fielding made a series of fine saves before Ollie Watkins' back-post header and Neal Maupay's curling shot made it 2-1, only for Reid to equalise. Brentford dominated possession and had 24 shots to Bristol City's eight, but came up against an inspired Fielding. The experienced goalkeeper kept out Jota on several occasions, made a reflex stop from Romaine Sawyers and denied Henrik Dalsgaard, who then hit the post with a rebound. His brilliance was rewarded when deep into added time - due to an injury to Josh McEachran - Reid pounced to pass his goal-tally for the entire 2016-17 season just three games into the new campaign. Brentford manager Dean Smith: "We are definitely running cold in the luck department at the moment. Bristol City are a good team but we looked a class above them. If we play like that we are a top-six team "I'm disappointed that the points tally is not as high as it should be after three games. We are not getting what we deserve right now but if we keep playing like that we will. "We need some luck but otherwise our performance was outstanding. "Their two goals both came from ricochets that could have gone anywhere but dropped perfectly for them and their keeper has had an inspired game, but all that will even itself out." Bristol City boss Lee Johnson: "We may have lost that game last year but we dug in and picked up a point that I genuinely thought we were worth. "We had three good chances near the end and should have had a penalty, and a lot of that was down to the spirit of the players and the supporters. "Brentford are a good side but I knew we'd get chances on the break. I just didn't think we'd have to defend as much as we did. "Brentford probably should have won their last two games but sometimes you have to dig in in the Championship and that could be as big a point as we have won in a long time because of the spirit we showed." http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40858329
Sounds like we got battered and the stats bear that out. Hopefully shows that we genuinely do have spirit now. Good point.
We looked like winners until about the 25th minute and then we fell apart and allowed Brentford back in the game but rather than surrender 3 points we came back for a share. I still think we need more time to become better and to gel as a squad but I hope our initial gloss doesn't wear off as it did last season.
I went up last night, we were simply poor, and Diedhou was very disappointing. The goals was probably 1 of 2 shots for us in the second half.
The stats don't lie, but it's only the goals that count. But unless we can compete better, especially away from home where we were fairly dreadful last year, we are likely to get ripped apart by some of the better teams.
I honestly don't understand what is going on, we are being fed hype about how well we battled , what spirit the team and supporters gave, we dug in and got what we deserved, we were battered, played off of the park and a class below, the stats show it, we were lucky and we mugged Brentford, I am glad for the point but why can't we just admit the truth and get ready for Saturday. Incidentally the best player on the park and who helped to deny us was Ollie Watkins from Exeter, signed for £1.8m, another player it was reported we looked at, decided was not what we required and we moved on. http://www.devonlive.com/leeds-sout...atkins-rated/story-30335345-detail/story.html please log in to view this image
there were a few positives last night Reid scoring again, fielding showing some good form probably knows he will have some competition soon, think everyone could see the goals coming so substitutions seemed a bit late, Would of preferred Hegeller to come on rather than o'neil as we couldnt keep possesion and that is generally what he is good at, otherwise they thought to the end got a point we coulld of easily lost 5-1 but that late goal will feel like a win going into a game against millwall who even this early on will likely be in the bottom few come the end
Did we choose not to pursue him, or did we put an offer on the table and he chose Brentford over us? You're entitled to your opinion Wiz, but lately it seems as though you're going out of your way to find reasons to criticise. Yes, we were outplayed by Brentford and got a point - does that mean you were satisfied when we outplayed Birmingham but lost? Or is the only satisfactory outcome for the MIGHTY BRISTOL CITY that we not only win games, but dominate them also? That view is usually reserved for fans of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. I'm being hyperbolic, but the point I'm making is I believe you are also. I don't think we are being 'fed hype' - what examples are you referring to? If LJ had come out and said something along the lines of 'we were utter s***e' then that'd be considered far too negative. I don't think anyone involved with the club thinks we're so good that we'll be challenging at the top, but I also think there isn't much to be gained from implying that we're set for a relegation battle. It's clichéd, but the 'one game at a time' mantra is sound, and so far we can probably be fairly contented with the results/performances as an average. Still very early days though naturally - we came out of the traps like a greyhound last season and it turned to s**t.
I merely stated the facts as they were reported by the BBC report , the reaction of some of the fans who attended, the stats as printed, some of the after match comments from both managers and my reaction to them. You are correct and I do have an opinion and at the moment it is quite open, we are 3 games in have won 4 points, lost 5 points and in 9th position, it's far to early to make a judgement on this seasons progress but I still haven't forgotten last years results which as you expressed turned to s**t. I do genuinely hope and want us to improve, SL has put his money where his mouth is, backed his head coach, he has spent the finance on stadium, players, management, academy, facilities as he has been advised, 18 months have gone by, 3 transfer windows passed, promises and commitments have been made, like many I am waiting to see progress and what develops.
You did more than just state facts - which is fine of course - I'm just participating in a bit of debate because I don't necessarily agree with some of this things you've implied: Brentford match - You've stated that we've been 'fed hype' (by the management or fans, I'm not sure), but that we should admit we were outplayed and focus on Saturday. I'm suggesting that I believe 'hype' is an exaggeration of anything that's been said, and that some credit is deserved for earning a result we otherwise didn't deserve, though tempered by the acceptance that we were lucky, which I think has been agreed by all. I also don't believe that there is a whole bunch of back-slapping going on and the result papering over the cracks that will make the side lose focus for preparing to play against Millwall. Ollie Watkins - You've implied that the club looked at him, decided he wasn't good enough and have made a mistake in not signing him. I can't say to know all the facts myself either, but going off the same reports, it seems as though there was strong enough interest that we did actually make an approach for him, but the player himself thought Brentford would be a better move for him, which would be understandable as they've finished above us in recent years and have proven to be a pathway for players on the up, like Andre Gray. It could also be that he liked the idea of moving to London - who knows? There are plenty of factors on a player's mind when choosing what offer to accept. If it were entirely in our hands and we passed on him, then yes, it would appear as though we've missed out on a great prospect who would likely have improved our side. Happy to have a bit of back and forth with anyone Wiz - it's part of why we're all here and why the City board is one of the best/most frequented of any on the not606 Championship board.
Brentford Official retraction of Saturday's match report By Olé, yesterday at 01:19 Posted yesterday at 01:19 (edited) To whom it may concern. On Saturday I became enthralled by the rapid and skilful passing and movement of Bristol City for 45 minutes against the second consecutive poor Championship team we had faced. During that time I became convinced that my football team had turned a corner and were exhibiting attributes that would serve us well for the season ahead. Today I realise that while we have a more balanced and close knit team, we are no further forward in terms of ability or quality, and in fact the only consistent tactical development exhibited so far compared to the prior season, is the attacking intent for the first ten minutes of every game. Other than that, it appears the manager is no more capable It sounds amazing to say it, but today managed to not just invert the injustice at St. Andrews, but by far exceed it in the inappropriate results stakes. We were a non-factor for the vast majority of a one-sided game at Griffin Park, were stretched to the point of breaking, yet emerged with a point which was even less warranted than Birmingham's three. I should add that Frankie Fielding, derided so regularly by City fans as not up to our target standard (and on the evidence of another poor day of kicking, with some reason) was actually the difference between us and an absolute thrashing. Ignore Reid's equaliser as pivotal, I lost count of the number of saves Fielding made to keep us in it. If the first few games of the season had showed progress in our passing and movement, today unfortunately pitted us with a team that is well drilled in those attributes and on a like for like basis, demonstrated that we are nowhere close. Besides our opening goal, we were continually on the back foot, and battered for the best part of 80 minutes. What is least satisfactory is that the manager, who the club hoped was riding a mini-revival arising from an easy pre-season and weak early opponents, compounded his mishandling of the second half on Saturday, by standing idly by today while we were comprehensively and obviously beaten in central midfield for more than the best part of an hour. The hallmark of the depths of last season was comically obvious weaknesses and I'm afraid we regressed close to that territory today. Where so far this season Smith and Pack have been the ignition switch for fast pass and move breaks out of midfield, today they were hounded backwards into a seemingly permanent second layer of our defence. Despite convincingly losing that central midfield battle for most of the game, it took well over an hour for Johnson to do anything about it - even persisting with a formation that put Brownhill and Paterson out wide, regardless that no one was left to feed them. Surely at that point you ask Brownhill to help trying to win central midfield back? Nope. And when we did change, it was to leave Reid up front on his own. Now if that was a surrender, it was far more appropriate than the inane attacking over-exuberance that followed the Harry Redknapp adjustments on Saturday, but regardless, with all the money we spend, to have got into a position with zero backup target man is more than concerning. It all started so well. But then that's the only consistent so far this season, and perhaps it's provided more reassurance than was justified. We piled forward and following a mistake like Saturday, Diedhiou rolled his marker and broke in on goal before the ball found its way to Brownhill, who swept it into the far corner. City ahead early again and buzzing. Sadly, it would be another 90 minutes before City would really stretch the opposition defence again. Far from being a platform to push on, we surrendered the initiative as Brentford poured forward with sharper passing and movement. The only consolation first half was we finally got to see our defence, which marshalled Vibe and Jota incredibly well. In my mind the story would be the turn of the City defence to shine, but even with Smith and Pack dropping back to contribute, it would require a succession of saves from Fielding - and the woodwork - to keep City ahead at half time. The number of crosses arising from their left, where Pisano seemed largely off the pace, was a particular concern. Given half time to do something about 30 minutes of one sided football, we changed nothing. Within 10 minutes of the restart, Brentford were level. By now Smith - who was literally everywhere - and Pack, were effectively an extra line of defence. No matter, because their first decent cross from their right, instead asked Pisano to win in the air. He failed. I've lost count of the number of times I've been to Griffin Park and seen them get the ball out wide and cross in and beat our defenders, but yet again we stood off the opponent and allowed the cross, and then Pisano, a welcome mat for crosses in the first half, was instead asked to win in the air one on one at the far post, yet unfortunately came up short. Fielding would go on to make another sensational save (from Jota), before Johnson belatedly reacted to the onslaught by withdrawing Diedhiou (who topped Saturday's anonymous after 60 minutes performance with today's anonymous after 15 minutes) and Brownhill, to leave Reid an unusual solo striker, and bring O'Neil into midfield and O'Dowda out wide. I can't argue with adding O'Neil to the fray and we got a little more stability in the middle, but truthfully a) we were already completely overrun through the middle and b) leaving just Reid up front gave us even less outlet than we had had previously. So the effect was not significant and we certainly didn't turn the flow of what was already a one sided game. Within five minutes Brentford deservedly went in front too. They knocked the ball around the edge of the box, no one got close enough to cut it out, and their man curled it into the corner. It had been coming and it has to be said that it was hard to argue with it. There was still time for them to force more saves from Fielding - we were slipping away grimly. With no other options we added Hinds up front (for Pack) and tried largely unsuccessfully to bundle the ball upfield. Following a prolonged injury to a Brentford player, the closest we'd come is a miscued clearance with the keeper off his line, whipped back in on goal from long distance by O'Dowda, but ultimately headed clear just in front of the line. Then, at the death, a twist. As City piled forward, two clear shouts for a penalty for handling in the box by defenders clearing - the second resulting from a desperate Baker shot with the last kick of the game. It was a good shout but the referee (excellent throughout) kept the game going and in the extra seconds, the keeper raced out to claim and Reid tapped in. Delirium in the away end. It was - after the long injury - literally the death: 8 minutes after the 90th, and in the context of the game, completely unwarranted and a total mugging. I did not speak to a single fan who felt we had done anything other than got out of jail: a scarcely deserved equaliser, in a match we only competed in the first and final 5 of 100 minutes. For that to be the case only 3 league games in, albeit against a decent and specifically counter-acting footballing team (Brentford are masters of pass and move at speed) should be a concern, but even more than that, the manner of Johnson's inability to compete tactically is the real worry from the past two away games. Some of the failings are all still there. On Saturday we quite obviously didn't have a Plan B, a criticism thrown at the manager a number of times last season. Today not only did we not have a Plan B, but our Plan A fell to pieces quickly too. In both cases we surrendered not just the lead, but the match and all visible momentum. The only shard of light was our five minute hustle for an equaliser. The optimism from Saturday may have to be re-assessed. The glowing references in my prior report certainly warrant retraction! Fielding 9 Kicking is still shocking, but without his saves we would have lost 5-1 or more. Kept us in the game - no other way to describe it. Pisano 5 Has the engine to get up and down but positioning and ability to win the ball all suspect. Far too many crosses from his side first half, and beaten in the air for the equaliser. Bryan 6 Regressing to the Bryan at Griffin Park last season. Moments in the first half where he totally abandoned the player he was marking allowing them a free shot on goal. Wright 7 The best of a poor defence. Got stuck in wherever he could and won a number of balls when it felt like Sawyers, Jota and Vibe were slicing our defence open. Baker 6 I thought Hegeler won a number of first balls on Saturday and was unlucky to be dropped. Don't think Baker did nearly enough to attack crosses into the box for us to celebrate his inclusion just yet. Smith 8 Fielding was a clear MoM for us, but Smith was our best outfield player by some distance. Ran himself into the ground chasing everything. Sadly mostly defensively but right to the end he was trying to get himself forward, we don't have many players who give everything in spite of the challenge. Pack 6 Forced into an almost entirely defensive role and didn't have the speed or engine to offer anything other than that. To compound that could have done better for their second goal. Brownhill 6 Good finish for the goal, and not really his fault, but little point him being out on the wing when we're overrun in central midfield and not even close to being able to get the ball played forward and into him. More Johnson's fault than his, but hard to see his value when he's so outside of the action. Paterson 5 The rub on this guy is that he is inconsistent and I'm afraid here we are again. After a couple of bright games, nowhere near the quality or strength needed and I would wager will lose his place to O'Dowda for Saturday who at least affects the game. Reid 7 Still working his proverbials off, had little or no service and a virtually non-existent target man alongside him, but he chased causes to both flanks all game for 98 minutes, and was ready to claim that equaliser. Hard to argue that he is our best player this season by some distance. The guy is on fire. Diedhiou 5 Worrying that he is not getting into games. Was always a project and going to be raw but for over £5m I would expect us to have got closer to a 90 minute player by now. Sharp from the start but too quickly played out of games and unable to effectively link up with anyone. Undoubtedly a workhorse but fizzles out very quickly. O'Dowda 7 More physical and animated than a below par Paterson, draws fouls and is exclusively forward thinking - his reaction with the keeper off his line, deserved better. O'Neil 5 Added some shape to the huge gaps we were absent from in central midfield, and managed one shot at goal, although truthfully did not look up to speed yet. Hinds 6 Not much sight of the ball but could see from his movement that he would have been welcome on Saturday, he gets into some positions. This was a match report from a trusted contributor on OTIB, very comprehensive and factual, no implication by me just a report which influenced me amongst others in my way of thinking.
...Yeah, which is pretty consistent with what a lot of fans are saying. So again, where is the hype we're being fed? You seem to have me confused as someone who thinks we're absolutely fantastic and no areas of improvement required. All I think is that we're showing at least some progress, consistent with the size/stature/resources of the club, and that at least compared to last season when we would likely have not been able to grind out a point, this time we're one point better off.
I said in the first sentence of my post ~ 'we are being fed hype about how well we battled , what spirit the team and supporters gave, we dug in and got what we deserved, we were battered, played off of the park and a class below, the stats show it, we were lucky and we mugged Brentford.' * How well we battled. * The spirit of the players. * How we dug in. * We got what we deserved. Dean Smith said ~ * Bristol City are a good team but we looked a class above them. * Their two goals both came from ricochets that could have gone anywhere. Lee Johnson said ~ * Picked up a point that I genuinely thought we were worth. * We had three good chances near the end and should have had a penalty * Big a point as we have won in a long time because of the spirit we showed." For god sake we were played off of the park, we were battered according to a lot of fans, all of this hype came from one BBC report. The BBC match Stats ~ Possesion - Brentford 64% Bristol City 36%. Shots B/Ford 24 Bristol City 8. Shots on target B/Ford 10 Bristol City 5. That's me I'm done, you did ask, good fair debate but going no where.
Well, if games are ever decided by stats such possession and shots, we'd be two points better off today. I'll stop now too.
