We'll stick to our playing principles, says Bristol City manager Steve Cotterill please log in to view this image STEVE Cotterill is refusing to compromise his football principles in search of a quick-fix solution to Bristol City's problems. Second-from-bottom of the League One table after losing 3-1 to Wolves at Molineux on Saturday, the Robins are engaged in a protracted fight against relegation. But the manager insists he is not for turning and will continue to encourage his team to play an attractive passing game rather than resort to a more direct approach as they attempt to escape the bottom four. Mistakes made by trying to play out from deep inside their own half contributed to Wolves scoring twice in the first half at the weekend. Yet, Cotterill is adamant he will set his side up to play the same way when City take their relegation battle on the road to leaders Brentford tomorrow night. "Nothing will change. We have been playing out from the back ever since I got here and we will continue to do that," said Cotterill. "That is why we can go to places like Wolves and do very well. We were the better team for long periods and I don't think too many sides will have come to their place and passed the ball like we did. "The football will be the same, no matter where we are in the table. We are not going to change our principles â I won't do that. It is something we need to get into the club. "When everything drops for those individual players and they play the football we know they can play, they will be worth more money to the club. "If we get the ball and whack it to one side of the pitch and then fight for it, they will never become good footballers and they will never progress in their careers." Although City matched Wolves for long periods, they were ultimately undone by mistakes that stemmed from poor decision-making. Asked if he believes this crop of players can learn quickly enough from their mistakes to pull City clear of trouble, Cotterill replied: "I'm still waiting to find that out. "We do have to learn from our mistakes. They might not all learn this season and sometimes it takes a summer break for it to all sink in. But they have to try to learn as quickly as they can. "We hope that between now and then we can get enough points to get ourselves out of trouble. "I don't think we played like a team that was second from bottom of the table." Cotterill will continue to accentuate the positives in a bid to lift his players ahead of tomorrow's trip to Griffin Park. He said: "Brentford will be another tough game, but then we might just give them their toughest game of the season. "I cannot be negative, because I'm a positive person and the only thing we can do is look forward. "We are looking forward to playing Brentford." Right wing-back Scott Wagstaff missed Saturday's game owing to a tight hamstring and Cotterill will assess his condition in training today before finalising his plans for tomorrow's visit to Griffin Park. Read more: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/ll-sti...tory-20504321-detail/story.html#ixzz2rac33jSr
Oh deary me. Nice words Steve but just in case you haven't noticed we are still rooted in the relegation zone. Although some may think that refusing to change philosophy is all very well and good, unless we change something soon then we will go down. Our defence sounded abysmal on the weekend and our attacking prowess is virtually non-existent and those things apparently still haven't been fixed well enough to get the desperate points we need and although Molineux was never going to be the place for revival I was hoping for better. Tomorrow nights game could be eerily similar in outcome and, if we fail, the coming month of March could turn out very bleak and the loan market is full of wannabees itching to play elsewhere because they could.t cut it where they were. Still tough times ahead SC despite your commitment to staying the course.
All very noble sentiments, but this is now just about climbing the table and surviving. You can afford to stick to your principles if you're in the top half of the table and not looking over your shoulder
Spot on angelic and if this form continues for another couple of weeks we could be in dire trouble despite all the managerial positivity.
Form? We're on our best form of the season. Was unbeaten in 6 going into the Wolves game which was obvious we would never win. All in all thing are looking up, just needed to get out of tomorrows game without to much disappointment. 1-0 loss would be pretty decent...
Shiny listen to yourself, defending a run of form that keeps us down where we don't want to be, and add in the fact that we were unbeaten in six until we went to the midlands doesn't do anything to get us out of the mess. Any positivity about a 0-1 loss tomorrow concerns me especially if you consider that then we will need close to 1.5 pts/game to stand a chance of survival and frankly I don't see anything about the squad, or it's recent run of form, that gives me confidence that we have a team capable of completing the task at hand. Sorry Shiny but that's just the way I feel and I don't see any change coming soon and I hope you are right with your optimism.
I agree. These are arguably two of our hardest games of the season. Its what happens from then on that will decide our fate. I am still optimistic, but slightly nervous. A bit like a virgin on her wedding night (as long as we dont get rodgered at Brentford)
I'm with Shiny on this one - the change has already happened - unbeaten in 6 league games going into what effectively is our hardest away game of the season. We may have lost but the performance was highly encouraging
Some have said that the defending was shambolic at times against Wolves. Irrespective of the Brentford result tomorrow, what we need is to start winning games, and in Carlisle, Coventry and Tranmere, all at home, there are 9 big points there for the taking in February and we need all of them, and some away from home too. Draws are not a lot of good to us. We've lost a lot less games that those teams around us and have a better goal difference, but virtually all other teams have won more games than us, and that could be the deciding factor.
That's the bare minimum needed. We could also do with a couple of quick fire away wins. 3 points at Oldham looked a possibility but after their comeback against Peterborough I'm not so sure now. We also owe Sheff Utd a decent performance after the rubbish we produced against them at home
Someone posted a few days back...Feb will be our Waterloo. The month will make or break our season I feel. If we go into March in the same position we are in now then it will be too big a mountain to climb. 9 points at home in Feb is a must.........
It was me, and I really believe it will be. If we are still in the bottom 4 at the end of next month we will have an absolute mountain to climb. We must get 10 points and preferably more in February
I'm sorry but I really can't get what SC is on about. We held our own for most of the first half, until suicide defending cost is dear. Second half we were second best for most of the time - yes we had a couple of attacks and a few corners, but most of the time we couldn't get further than the 3rd quarter - we were closed down and ther was hardly any movement off the ball. Wolves on the other hand carved out chances for fun and outnumbered us out wide time and time again. It's lucky for us that their big centre forward left his shooting boots at home or it would have been embarrassing.
I can't believe the bollocks I'm reading, hardly anyone thought for one minute we would get something at Wolves a place where we haven't won in years and years. So when it happened we didn't get a win it's back to ****ty City can't even win at Molineux. Yes the first half we did hold our own, but gave away two sloppy goals. That's the difference between us they made one mistake we made two. That's what happens when you're playing at the bottom against a team playing at the top. Second half they had us back to the walls and we could all see a goal coming. Unfortunately so could Cotterill so he got Burns ready. But the ball just would not go out of play which could of been a good 5 minutes plus whilst Burns stood on the touch line until our wall broke and they scored. Will we get anything tomorrow night I doubt it very much but the difference with me and some on here is after we lose I will say I didn't expect but some will say ****ing hell can't even beat Brentford. And now we are really in the ****e. I said here last week it's quiet on here when we are winning, but as soon as we lose it's busy again. Bob Taylor once said we are the most fickle of all supporters and I think he's correct. let's get behind the team support them and cheer up.
Sorry ROD but surely even you can't be happy with the performances overall this season. If you look at where we are in the table you must see an strange resemblance to last season and despite all the positivity back then we still went down. Unless we start winning games with consistency the same fate awaits us this season and I just think that a lot of people on this site are starting to see the same problems that still haven't been answered. Whether we praise or criticise we are still City fans and want the club to get better but I'm still not sure we are even close to that mark yet, and time is running out much the same as last year.
What did e say about Leeds Leeds Leeds who booed hissed his name on the team sheet and called him nasty names?
