We dont have a goal scorer, we dont have anyone in midfield who can hold the ball or create anything. We definitely need a serious clear out.
I very much doubt you will hammer someone soon. Marshall made one outsanding save. Other than that your failure to score was down to wasting good positions time and time again. A real lack of quality in the final ball. Our midfield was so bad I thought last night was defensively a good work out for our back 4 If a better side are in the amount of good positions your side were in last night we get hammered even with Marshall who should be in the PL. I thought Freeman was oustanding and Kodjia a handful though despite the save should have scored. Wilbrahim is nowhere near good enough. Some are saying last night was our worst display since our return to this level.(dont agree with this as our defence played well). The reason we got a point and maybe could have luckily snatched all 3 was mostly down to your sides failings. What I dont get is you were offering silly money for strikers you were never going to get when you could have got 4 or 5 players who would get you up at the other end. The way you set up and try to play though is impressive. However games are won and lost in the final 3rd and I think apart from Kodjia you are short in quality in both areas. Your comments about losing games you dominate doesnt suprise me to be honest. I think you may find that happens a lot. I think Cox is a player who has gone downhill but hes still a decent player at this level and must surely replace Willbrahim. As long as you start winning soon you will be fine. However if your side starts losing confidence and the nice football you play starts to suffer you could end up in trouble. Id say its frustrating for you as the money you had could have been invested in players who could have made the good positions you get in count. As long as you stay up this season and I think you will if Cotterill is backed you could have a very good season next year. You do need to hope Kodjia stays fit though. Also better managers than Slade will set up better to deal with the system you play.
Ralls and Pilkington should never have been on the bench last night. With the injuries to our strikers we should set up with a 3 man central midfield. Kennedy cant even get on the bench. FFS hed walk into that Bristol City line up. Only Slade knows why hes making the selections he does. He was clueless last night. In the end though despite being constantly in yards of free space you knew the likes of Bennett were just going to waste the ball so he got away with it. Most Championship sides hammer us last night. If he sets up like last night again he should be sacked.
Wise words Hilts24. Most of this is spot-on and a lot of our fans will probably agree. Why Cox hasn't been played and Cotts keeps faith with Wilbs only he knows. Agree about the silly money offerings - that was a bit of a mystery to me tbh. The only thing I disagree with in your comment was your statement that Marshall made only one outstanding save; I counted at least 2 - Kodija's effort and Bryan's which he managed to tip onto the post, for Kodija's tap-in which was (rightly) disallowed. I take your comments about our wastefulness from good positions, but holding that thought, why have opposition goalkeepers got the MOTM award ON 4 OCCASIONS so far this season? They aren't getting those awards for making simple saves. Despite our struggle so far I don't think we'll go down this season - and you definitely won't! Looking forward to the return match - it'll be interesting to see how both sides have evolved!
"Looking forward to the return match - it'll be interesting to see how both sides have evolved!" You suggesting there are a few knuckle draggers on both sides? LOL
I watched the game from a different position last night - quite close to the dug out. Slade did not seem to offer any advice unlike Cottrell who was proactive. Trollop was quite active in the first half but sat down for the whole 2nd half. Margetson was the only one barking out orders, but he too gave up as the game progressed. he is the goalkeeping coach isn't he though? Young was there but not sure why? He'd do a better job hosting the corporate tables.
It would have been a travesty if Ameobi had scored at the end as Bristol were so superior to us all over the park (apart from at keeper although we don't know how well Fielding can play as he didn't have a shot to save ). At times I found myself counting the players on the field as it felt like they had 12 to our 11. They always had someone in space and were first to every loose ball in the middle of the park. As Hilts says, Freeman (the poor man's Luca Modric) was excellent and their back four gave nothing away. Elliott should have made more of the problems he gave Fabio and it wasn't until Whitts and then Ralls realised they had to support Fabio that we got Elliott under control. For me the one irony was that Noone was easily skinning their original left back. Was he really injured or just told to look like it so they could get him off early? Unfortunately the sub, Bryan, was much more energetic got tight on Noone and that was the end of the game for him - to the extent that Bryan was able to get forward and would have scored but for an excellent low save by Marshie. While a point is better than none it was a bad night for us. Bristol played the sort of football we would like to see from City. Pressing up top, full of energy and strength and if they can get a decent striker to play alongside Kodija they will push up the league rapidly. Where would they be if Gayle had agreed to join them from Palace?
Gayle was worth nowhere near the money they offered. Remember he was part of the Peterboro team who did the double over us when we won the league and they got themselves relegated with him. They also had Tomlin who is a quality player. Theyd have been better off making a number of signings and as long as they stay up not signing Gayle will be a bullet dodged I believe.
Wilbs is too old to cut it at this level tbh. He DOES know where the net is (ask the Florest - and all L1 teams last season) but he doesn't get the time on the ball in this league that his 36-year old body needs to deliver. I can only assume Cox is unfit, because Cotts won't start him.
