Unless we adopt a playing system that gives us a presence and threat in the opposing penalty area we are heading for Division 2. As a season ticket holder who has supported through thick and thin I am fed up watching a team play pretty football in defence and midfield without an end product. At least under Del we had decent forwards (Davies, Stead etc) who could perform the lone striker role and win SOME challenges, now we have a munchkin upfront competing with two 6ft 4" center halves, we also had Adomah who would put defences under pressure. This season our attack does not provide a threat, pose any sustained pressure, or provide a presence in the opposing penalty area whilst playing the lone striker system. Our forwards are static and do not create space to offer our midfield a route forward. When our wingers have the ball instead of creating an end product the ball generally ends up back with our defence. I feel for our defenders who face the wrath of the crowd for not moving the ball forward but in truth there is nowhere to go forward, so we go sideways and eventually lose the ball, our defenders don't have the skill of Bobby Moore or Alan Hanson, their just Division 1 defenders, we put too much pressure on them to keep possession and create an opening. At home we must have 80% of the ball but never look comfortable. Why have we got to be a goal down to play with two strikers? Sorry SOD, I don't blame the players or your passing/possession game plan, the problem is the system you are playing when you don't have the players to play it. The supporters support the new vision of the club but the young players don`t appear to enjoy your system/formation, and the supporters certainly don`t. Your insistence on not changing or adjusting your vision will lead us to the conference! Hopefully when we get there we will play a formation that both players and supporters enjoy. I`m praying for a miracle, sadly they don`t happen too often.
This week there have been some superb German and Spanish sides on view. They do not base their games on "win some challenges up top", they base the game primarily on technique, pass and move, and pressing high up the pitch [techy speak its called counter pressing]. These sides are playing with one up front, two up front, NONE. They switch, move, pass, pass, pass, start again, alter tempo. They use five in midfield, Bayern used SEVEN at times. All can play. Then there is the Dutch deeper lines, pass, pass, pass, start again, pass it, often a midget instead of giant up front would drive many who think the way forward is win some challenges. Somewhere above has to be the future. Football is relentlessly heading that way, away from "win some challenges". EUFA and FIFA are pushing away from physical football. City will not be relegated. I would put the keeper up front last ten if losing, lumps. centre halves all of them, but BCFC must not lose sight of where football is going. There is a chance City can get ahead v being left behind in the future by not attempting to play football with the basic principle those ruling Europe and International football do , "we get it down. we play and pass".
Loved watching Bayern, playing a formation that was unfathomable at times and the ball constantly to feet. Somewhere in Bristol a man shouted "get it up there" at the TV.
