Bristol City coach delivers some hard truths as the Robins capitulate at Coventry City Bristol City's alarming run continues, as does their inability to kill teams off with Coventry City playing the second-half with 10 men yet still emerging 3-2 winners Curtis Fleming revealed that angry words were had in the Bristol City dressing room after another damaging defeat for the Robins, with the assistant manager questioning the players hunger and resilience. Twice City took the lead against Coventry, who played the entirety of the second-half a man down following Ian Maatsen’s red card, but they were never able to dominate the hosts and exert a sense of control over the game. As a result, Matty Godden’s injury time winner consigned City to a 3-2 loss - their fifth defeat in six games - with the Robins having now dropped eight points in the final moments of matches this season. With Nigel Pearson not able to travel to Coventry due to illness, Fleming led the team at the Coventry Building Society Arena, with Under-23 coach Alex Ball alongside him, but this was a familiar tale for a City team who, once again, lacked the nous to get over the line. “A bit of anger, a bit staggered,” said Fleming, in describing his immediate reaction. “But the emotions came out in the dressing room after the game. “We've given the first goal away and it's easy, isn't it? Zak will hold his hand up, he was marking on the wrong side. And then he's running in and he's touched him and he's gone over but we never should have been in that position. “The second okay, but the third one, it's a throw-in on the halfway line and we don't lay a glove on them. He ends up putting the ball in on our six-yard box. “And that isn’t coaching, that’s not technique; that’s determination and hunger to keep the ball out of the net and we didn’t have enough of that towards the end. “We can talk about age and inexperience but it doesn't matter. We should have really enjoyed that today and been strong and confident but we seemed to sit back, 2-1 up against 10 men and they looked the better team. So it’s disappointing. Sometimes it’s a mentality, it’s a hunger.” Chris Fleming put the Robins ahead just before half-time after Maatsen was dismissed for fouling O'Dowda. But the Robins were pegged back as Zak Vyner got caught the wrong side of Viktor Gyokeres and then fouled him in the process of trying to get back. Godden converted the penalty before an Andi Weimann tap-in restored City's advantage but even from that position of authority they were unable to get on the ball and control the game with Callum O'Hare and then Godden scoring two in the final 16 minutes. City were backed by 3,000 away fans in the Midlands who were left disgusted by how easily their team surrendered with the defeat leaving them 19th in the Championship, seven points above the bottom three. The Robins now have the international break to try and get things right before back-to-back home games against Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City. “The biggest thing for me, in professional sport, when we go and we work this badge is bigger than any individuals, any staff, any players,” Fleming added. “We had 3,000 fans there. Supporting us, trying to back us and we give a goal away there in the second half and they’re still wishing you to do well. And at the end of the day that’s what it’s about. “So you put all your individual achievers to a side and you put it into a team and you say, we have to keep the ball out of the net. We have to concentre. This is what we were going to say we were going to do. And for some parts we did that. “But, again, the last few minutes we get picked off. And, if I’m honest, I said to the guys, it’s unacceptable. It’s unacceptable. They’re a good bunch of guys but sometimes there has to be a few harsh truths that need to be told.” https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-city-coach-delivers-hard-6171910
It's not just about the result, but for me, the performance yet again...Against 10 men throughout the 2nd half.....we were still second best, under pressure, very little answers, very little direction & more or less outplayed. Those that like stats would, as a City fan I find them embarrassing against 10 men for for much of the game; Possession Coventry 59% City 41% Shots Coventry 17 City 8 Shots on Target Coventry 6 City 5 Corners Coventry 8 City 1 Fouls Coventry 15 City 11 We need to change the tactics
The beeb have updated the stats since the end of the game only by 1 so in second half COVENTRY with 10 men had 1 more shot on goal than we did in whole game
I think the players, coaches, and manager all need some harsh words had with them. Collectively they have been shocking this season, even in the games we have won we have not been at all convincing.
We haven't looked a good team for all of this season and regrettably for the last several years as well. What the hell is wrong with us that even after all of the promises and commitments made we still are a team heading absolutely nowhere in a hurry and worse than that there doesn't look like improvement is anywhere on the radar. Somewhere along this winding road the club have clearly missed the point, and the signs showing us the way, leaving us stranded like a turd in the sewer. Supporting a team that must be fast coming a laughing stock due to our ineptness at everything is difficult at best and insanity at worst because at my advanced age I know the dream has long been sent to the tip. I seem to remember mentioning on several occasions that I thought we had a bogey man lurking the halls of Ashton Gate destroying anything good that we achieve and from all reports he is never going away and will continue to be the only consistency we can do well. Sitting here enjoying my morning coffee brings no respite and my thoughts want to ask the question as to why it continues to happen virtually each and every season and then just when we truly believed we had made a momentous decision it comes back to remind us that pi**ing in to the wind also creates a bad smell. Having a competitive team at Bristol City almost appears to be way outside of our boxes but if we don't sort out this mess we will be playing in a lower league next season, but at least that could give our management more time to come up with false promises. How many more times do we have to say that this could become the season we have been waiting for only for our hopes to be dashed on the rocks just south of Bristol? Absolutely gutted that here we go again with not a chance of knowing where we want be and an even less chance of finding out how to get there. We have an innate ability to find players that never actually appear to want to be here and this current lot seem to have that credo firmly entrenched in their collective psyche and if they performed like that in any other industry, including a certain financial entity, they would be shown the back door very quickly. Bristol City till I die still rings true but surely the supporters, including myself, don't need to be treated like idiots who just help pay the bills any longer.
Our latest disaster means I'm almost lost for words…….. Nige and his team should cancel all free time/days off for the players for the next fortnight or more, and give them extra training instead. The capitulation to 10 men whilst leading 1-2 is down to the players and players alone and their lack of concentration and intervention. There were 9 City players defending for their 3rd goal. In other (lighter) news there are growing calls from Sunderland fans for 'streaky' to be sacked after their latest loss, a 0-1 home defeat to Mansfield in the FA Cup on Saturday.
It's started in earnest over 'there': Pearson & Fleming : OUT - Football Chat - One Team in Bristol - Bristol City Forums (otib.co.uk) I'm not quite there yet, but I have not honestly seen ANY improvement since DH and that was half of last season and the vast majority of this one. I accept that a large proportion of our squad is not top 6 material, and ALL teams including us are suffering with the fallout from Covid, but the team as a whole is better than this. We are underachieving and have done since NP has been in charge. The players don't seem up for it - and when LJ was in charge people were saying that it's the manager's job to motivate the players. Ours don't seem to care less at the moment, so our manager is failing. We have dropped 8 points around the 90 minute mark - EIGHT POINTS FFS. NOT GOOD ENOUGH. The timing of Kalas showing off his new car is beginning to look like the ultimate piss-take.
Exactly right there bcfcred because this current lot are just taking the piss. The last minute capitulations are solely down to the players out there at the final whistle. Bristol City are at the moment one of our worst examples of team dysfunction I have witnessed and none of them, with the exception of a select few, are even close to being worth what they are paid. There should be a crisis meeting to determine what to do about this and if we can't sort this out before we next time we take the field then the axe may fall and it will hurt.
