Match Day Thread Bristol City v Hull City

I’ve seen it in every game since Coventry. Proper heart attack football.

 

Regarding the gap between defence and midfield that I think we’ve all clocked, I remember Jak himself mentioning that very issue from watching last season’s games, saying that it was something to be sorted. I’m sure someone can find the quote.

 

Do you think it’s a tactical thing on Jakirović’s part or just a lack of depth and quality in key positions? I’m not so sure.

We don’t have a proper number 6. Lundstram is more of a box-to-box number 8 and that’s obvious even when he’s played as the number 6 because of his positioning. The same applies to Slater and Crooks as they like to get forward. Then there’s Palmer who reminds me of an old school number 10 like Özil or Koren that prefers to just stay in the hole behind the striker, waiting to produce a bit of magic but only on their terms.

You hear people talk of players who can play as a number 6 or 8 but I think it’s easier for a defensive midfielder to do a job as a box-to-box one than the other way around. Arteta realised that with Rice and that’s why he pushed him forward. Man City struggled last season mainly because they didn’t have another number 6 when Rodri got injured and Kovačić, a box-to-box midfielder, struggled to do that role for the same reasons Lundstram struggles.

 

Just checking as you said similar about my opinion on Pandur only to copy it almost word for word a few days later..

I think for his role in the squad slater is fine, but as all his L1 friends have gone he seems the default option to slate (heh) when people need someone to have a go at. For instance, I thought Giles was much worse than slater, as was lundstram, but the criticism of them has been much softer.

Taking a pop at me because I refuse to get sucked into just ripping into him for no reason then somehow claiming that me responding to you is the start of a tedious back and forth is a really poor way to operate.

 

I think it’s a bit of both atm. Hopefully it will be sorted over the break.

 

Having slept on it, firstly BC are a very good side, pass the ball quickly and accurately and press us once we lost the ball. Of course, losing is never nice, but as a game it was certainly very watchable.

We have gone from being primarily a defensive side to an attacking one, so the gaffer needs to get the balance right now, at present as already discussed the midfield are not protecting the defence and there is too much room between the 2 lines. Hopefully this new signing at 6 will at least start to bring some protection for the back line.

We have certainly missed Crook's and Ajayi, we looked much more solid against Coventry, and they have been a big miss.

I was impressed with Akintola, he looks a good signing, and Belloumi certainly brings a different dimension to the game.

Delighted for Joseph getting his goal, he had got into good areas when he came on, and to be fair the score could have been a lot closer had their keeper made 2 or 3 good saves, particularly the header from McBurnie.

We have player 2 of the sides Coventry and BC away who looks as if they are going to be pushing for promotion, and last week's performance was clearly due to the bug, so not downhearted, with players coming back, I think we will get better.

 

I admire your optimism John!

With this attack we don’t need to be as tight in defense as we were under Selles, if we concede 1, I’d back us to score 2. The problem is we’re conceding a lot more than that, and even the best attacks can’t outscore a 2/3/4 goal deficit every game.

Im with you, I’m not writing us off yet, but we need to rethink how we’re defending because it can’t carry on the way it is!

 

I'm not convinced they're going to be top 6/are a great side. They've been relatively average to start the season (outside of smacking a poor Sheffield United) but guess we'll see how they go. We got smacked by Norwich 4-0 last season and they finished mid-table and I wouldn't be surprised to see this Bristol City in a similar position.

 

Their press after we scored was absolutely stifling, they were incredibly committed and well organised and we simply couldn’t handle it, especially Lundstram who went to pieces. If they play like that regularly they will dominate a lot of teams including the good ones.

 

Quite possibly, I just question the quality of their playing squad. They may well end up having a good season, it's also an incredibly open league this year to be fair. I suspect there won't be many games we come away from where I think we've just played a top 2/4 side but obviously four sides have to finish there..

 

Agree, very even division this year. The real surprise for me so far is Ipswich - from the bits I’ve seen of them they still haven’t shaken the expectation of losing most weeks and are playing cautiously with little confidence. Big test for McKenna, this the first time of real adversity in his career, he has a superb squad in terms of both quality and depth and has to get them to reset over this international break.

 

Always a difficult game yesterday as defensive mistakes against a good side amplified the final outcome. Obviously City missed Crooks but we did look a midfielder and a centre back short yesterday as the age old problems we have of allowing crosses into the box again led to problems we couldn’t deal with. Early days of course but with important players to come back and time on his side Jakirovic now has to chance to try and address some of the problems and hopefully get important players fit who help give the side a better balance.


UTT.

 

Thats the quote.

Sorry, I mean Amin’s post from Jak’s pre season interview.

 

I'm confident Sergei will get it right, in time...Perhaps, he'll consider converting Williams into a centre half and playing three across the back. Right now we appear to be far to easy to slice open. Plus if Pandur is still in the building come 7pm tomorrow, he's going to require some competition.

 

For what it is worth and I say this with no malice-
Sheff utd we destroyed -Charlton parked the bus and we did not break them down they deserved the draw-Derby we gave away two points criminal -Hull we battered and definitely deserved the three points in terms of the four sides played you are by far the poorest so far.
Your guy on the wing was a menace looks a real handful.
Us we need reinforcement up front if Riss get injured we have nothing-rumour a prem loan signing is coming in up top.
Fally-Armstrong have not cut the mustard with us and need moving out.

 

i watched you play derby

and said at the time armstrong will be what costs you playoffs and stand by it, unless you get someone new in

 

Sheffield United didn’t even have a shot on target against you, we created enough chances on another day we might have won. I don’t see how we could be poorer than a team that didn’t register a single shot on target.

 

That's certainly a take.