Match Day Thread Bristol City v M/boro

Correct but it was another symptom of the midfield constantly giving the ball away, all 3/5 of them tonight.

We need more pace at wing back, that would have helped, it certainly helped Boro that's what stretched us tonight, but if we cannot keep hold of the ball in midfield and put 2 passes together and compete in midfield when we are under pressure, eventually even a side like Boro will find a way through.

 

I don't think it was to do with not looking interested, for me it was same old midfield frailties, Bakinson struggled but he was on his own, no back up from Weimann or Paterson and the wing backs didn't help either.

 

Not making judgements mate, this was always going to happen sooner or later, Bakinson is young and needed help and never got any, Weimann is not a consistent midfielder and Paterson is not a player to have in your midfield when we are in the midfield trenches, this should not come as a surprise, we have always known this about Weimann and Paterson, it's why we bought Williams and hopefully will see Walsh hit the form he showed for Coventry. But tonight Brunt could have helped to make a difference in midfield in the 2nd half. The introduction of Diedhiou and Semyeno was a desperation move IMHO, if the midfield was incapable of creating chances for strikers the quality of Martin and Wells, they certainly were not going to create any for the raw Semyeno and immobile Diedhiou.

 

I know that mate.

I just worry that maybe another manager is going to be blind to what's needed in midfield, Bakinson on his own was never going to be answer, he is a great talent and we will do well to hold on to him I suspect. But long term I just cannot see Weimann and Paterson together as being consistent enough to give us a fully functioning midfield.

 

When you play a home game and can't muster a single shot on target in the whole of the 90 minutes then you're always going to be in trouble. Hangover from the reckless challenge from O'Dowda on Saturday maybe. Either way they need to put the last 2 games behind them and focus on the basics. We've long been a team that struggle to do simple stuff like accurately pass to each other and control the ball first time, so extra training needed !

 

That wasn't great - let's hope it's not the end of the honeymoon period.

 

Not sure I’d describe it as ‘men against boys’.
They went toe to toe with us in a very defensive game with neither side creating many chances.
It’s the old cliche; ‘it’ll take one mistake to tip the balance’ and Moore obliged. They didn’t look like scoring until then ok neither did we. It had 0-0 written all over it.
That’s 3 points dropped over 2 games through individual cock-ups. The test now will be to bounce back after the defeat and not let our heads drop. Moore was absolutely gutted it was obvious. Let’s hope he regains his confidence quickly (and O’Dowda too).
Make a mistake like those at this level and you’ll be punished.
Still second and everything to play for.

 

You sound like you’re happy with the result? Just for clarity who’s result do you look for first this season.
Middlesborough? Florest? Or City’s?

 

If only the training ground could transform Weimann into a consistent performer in any position that he has ever played in for any team in his career and Paterson into a combative tackling midfielder, who can spot opposition runners and deal with them, unfortunately that particular boat has sailed for both of them.

I will preface my criticism with both, that up until last night they rightfully kept their positions on merit, but the warning signs were always there and will remain so.

When Holden after an abject midfield showing against Exeter and for 60 minutes against Coventry, realised that a midfield of Weimann, Massengo and Paterson was as weak as any midfield chosen over the past 4 years, where we were being totally out muscled in midfield and creating little or nothing and brought on Bakinson, I suspect nobody other than Brian Tinnion would realise what instant impact one young player would have.

And although still not perfect but as near to a fully functioning midfield as we have had in the past 4 years, we suddenly held our own in midfield for a change. But the 1st half at Barnsley on Saturday and for the whole of the 90 minutes last night, fans could be mistaken for thinking that midfield wise we we were back to where we started.

If Weimann and Bakinson are not fully at the races performance wise, playing Paterson is akin to playing with 10 men, he cannot tackle, he cannot spot opposition runners and 1st half Saturday and for the whole last nights game Weimann and Paterson showed that against physical sides (and lets be realistic here, this was a Warnock side, so it's not as if we didn't know what we were in for) we are going to struggle. So the choice for me is an inconsistent player who runs around a lot and pops up with the odd goal or an incredibly talented player who can unlock defences and score the odd goal but does not contribute much if anything to the middle battle. Not both.

For my money bringing on Diedhiou and Semyeno was a move of complete and utter desperation and doomed to failure because we weren't creating diddley squat. The better option IMHO would have been bring on either Diedhiou or Semyeno, push Paterson forward and put Brunt into midfield.

We can spend every waking minute on the training ground and it will assist Moore to cut out silly mistakes and improve his woeful passing, it will assist Vyner to maybe not go to sleep at important moments (like he did at Forest and Barnsley) both resulting in goals and also improve his woeful passing but Weimann and Paterson are beyond that, I believe it is going to be difficult to play both together any more, for me it's one or the other, if Williams and Walsh are not fit then bring Brunt in and drop one of them to the bench, otherwise expect us to be out muscled in midfield more often than not and more abject performances like last night. Maybe last night was an aberration and I will be proved wrong, but somehow I don't think so.

 

It was men against boys in midfield and that's where games are won and lost and even without the mistake leading to the goal, they missed at least 3 other gilt edged chances and we never actually created a chance.

If the midfield is not sorted we will be back to where we were for the final 23 games of last season, with pressure being heaped on an overworked defence (who will take the blame) and not creating many if any chances during a game (where the strikers will be blamed).

The midfield is the key.

 

Unable to watch last night but have seen the Boro goal.
The games I have watched this season then TM's mistake was waiting to happen.
The times he runs out with the ball from defence only to pass to the other side is a real problem.
His intentions are great but he has to stop , just cut out these risky passes/getting caught in possession.
I'm not convinced, but I do hope that TM and Vyner can cut out their innate weakness's.

Agree with Jiffie about are midfield and hope Williams and Walsh get to full fitness asap.

 

I think the problem is a lot of people cannot see past the fact that Weimann has a great engine and pops up with the odd goal, but he is not and never will be a consistent performer, especially in midfield. I see him mainly as an impact player from the bench, something that we lack on our bench. Paterson is another that people tend to see as this mercurial type of player who can on his day unlock defences and scored the odd great goal, that is great but only if we have a central midfield pairing that will do his share of the 'dirty work' like tackling and tracking back, Bakinson cannot do it on his own.

I suspect that Swansea will pack their midfield with their most physical players and have young fit athletic wing backs to pen Hunt and Rowe in our own half and if Holden starts with either the same midfield or drops Bakinson say for Brunt, then I fear a similar performance.

It would be nice to actually have a bit more of an honest assessment of the injuries to Walsh and Williams, instead of the football speak BS that fans are spoon fed by the club.

 

If Swansea watch footage of us against Barnsley and Middlesbrough then they won't find it difficult to suss us out, whether they come for a point or all 3.

 

Ain't that the truth, it was like groundhog day mk2, hopefully as I said before Holden doesn't suffer the midfield myopia that his predecessor did and makes the same mistakes and favouring failing players.

 

I reckon we'll know soon enough. Let's hope he doesn't have tunnel vision...………….