sensible post Tom-that was a great first half-second half not so good-but plenty of positives from the game. Those players which started were giving their all for Nige. Positive at the end we were on top. Blackburn sit 7th are they any better than us no way. Small margins are costing us.
just listened to niges interview on BCFC looks happier, but dwells a lot, other than a suppressed comment on "those 30mins" after HT seemed melancholy in a bit of positivity!
I think we need to start to look at the last 10-15 minutes as a time to score rather than trying to hand on. Go for it do to speak, even if we’re winning at the time. Turn it into a positive rather than a negative as it is presently.
In my books if you go up 1-0 then the worst thing you can do is fall back and defend for the rest of the match and clearly that will never work for a team like ours. As you say Ashton you need to go for that second goal and keep on the front foot and not let your opponent a chance of getting back in the game. I'm sure that if someone compared our record for losing games after going ahead it is probably pretty dire but our record at throwing games away in the last 20 minutes must be even worse. Come Bristol City wake up to the beat of a different drum - you might like the noise.
We got 1 point more than I'd expected and predicted, but Kalas should have put his boot through that ball which led to their equaliser and put it over the roof of the stand. Disappointing that Blackburn only had 1 shot on target during the game and still went home with a point which Mowbray said they deserved ?? WTF ? For me, Wells needs to be the first out of the door come January, but who is going to want him ?
I think a lot of our defensive issue, especially late on is Bents doesn’t command his box enough and our back line drops ever deeper. Keep the back line high and Bents has to act as a kind sweeper if necessary and control his box not stay on his line .
Well done Mike - at last someone else can see it. Now all we need to do is hope that Nigel wakes up and smells the coffee too, as he is calling the formations and tactics. One skill of a good manager (and player tbf) is recognising what his squad can and cant do - understanding the limitations. Our squad is (just about) capable of getting the odd goal on the break if we play 'high press' but as soon as we sit back we might as well step aside and let the opposition score. THAT is our main limitation - and we've proved it time and time again. I can see it - and a few others can, but Nigel - and several people on here can't (or won't)........ how many more times is it needed before Nige sees it I wonder?
Successful teams, average around 1.6 to maybe 1.8 goals a game ... still means the other team needs 3 goals for 3 pts!! look at Coventry game last gasp robbed us of 2pts! How many games end 3-2??? even less 4-3! common is 2-1 3-1 ...... only 1 team can attack at the same point in time and they need the ball for that...
In that case then it really is the players 100% Blatantly going against the manager's direction is a sackable offence.
To further my thoughts on the falling back issue it seems we have no other way to relieve the pressure except booting the ball downfield. Inevitably the ball lands straight back at our opponent's feet and the scramble begins again so is there no way known to us that can turn defence in to offense? When we come out of a defensive situation we seem to take 5 steps forward followed by 10 steps back to handle the inevitable opposition coming back at us. Isn't there a better way for us to transition back to a higher press therefore taking the pressure off the back line and Bentley?
I couldn't have put it better, the old saying ' If there are weak links in the chain it won't work' - so get rid and replace them. That's just what Nige is going to do - Move them on or restrict 1st team selection depending on contracts.
So do you think that NP's tactics are getting the best from our players? I'm not judging, just curious..
First off I don't think it was NP's tactics that lost us 2 points on Saturday it was an unlucky players mistake , obviously through the season so far he has made some bad judgements and tactical decisions, I would be a liar to deny that but with circunstances of Covid sickness, established players consistently under performing, inuries and having to play inexperienced academy younsters plans do go wrong. I think he is getting the best out of most of our players but not the team as a whole for reasons I have already given. Bristol City press conference live: Curtis Fleming on Stoke City and Nigel Pearson's return Updates from the Robins High Performance Centre as Bristol City assistant manager Curtis Fleming addresses the media https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-city-press-conference-live-6241998 Some of your points are raised during this interview.
This was another individual error, one of many. However, we did sit back for the first 20-30 mins of the second half, rather than gamble on getting a second. With lower confidence in the side at 1-0 as games wear on, we need a second to give them that confidence to see games out. That for me is where NP and CF have much to do with these players. We just can’t get a 2 goal lead
To be honest, with that interview I'm none the wiser of the tactics. Are we looking to high press? defend from the front? sit back and counter attack? long ball? quick pass and move? Play wide? Play narrow? I've really not got a clue.. If those tactics on Saturday along with the past few games were laid out by the manager and were adhered to by the players selected...I have to say, either the players are rubbish and not listening or the tactics are completely wrong.....either way, it's not working for me!!
My answer to that is at the moment we are 18th in the league that is the teams failure and the managers responsibility regardless......both ways is not working for me either