Manager says team will come through testing period. Steve Cotterill insists City will continue to play the right way in a bid to move up the Sky Bet Championship table. City stormed to the League One title with 99 points last season, scoring goals freely and playing attractive football which drew many plaudits from the footballing world and earned individual awards for the manager and players. The team have continued to dominate possession in the Championship but results are proving harder to come by. Cotterill told bcfc.co.uk: “We’ve been used to winning and we’ve now got to deal with a different scenario. “We have to come through this period and come out as winners again. We need a bit of luck and we need to ensure we continue to work hard. “We’re trying to do the right things, whilst eradicating the mistakes we’ve been making. “We’ll carry doing the things we’ve been doing; I don’t see us changing. “We can’t all of a sudden become a long-ball team that is direct and compact. I think that would be an easy way to go. “Most of the team are our League One team and it’s a big step up. They’re all good, honest boys and they’re trying to bridge (the step up) but they need a bit of luck at the moment. “We will end up taking our chances by playing the same football we’ve played since I’ve been here.” Read more at http://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/article/...ay-cotterill-2705894.aspx#3AZGoGW61b72bBP8.99
Steve Says..... “We’re trying to do the right things, whilst eradicating the mistakes we’ve been making. “We’ll carry doing the things we’ve been doing; I don’t see us changing. Trying to do the right thing, eradicate the mistakes but we will carry on doing the things we've been doing and can't see us changing, I'm sorry but I'm a bit confused.
It is easy to understand. City have had enough possession, created enough chances - scored enough goals to be in a far better position e,g Leeds, Derby etc ... but have conceded the most goals in the division. Deal with the latter without sacrificing the former.
Once again OK but it all sounds very confusing to me, we have had enough possession, created enough chances and scored enough goals but we have conceded the most goals in the division and are joint bottom, if we deal with the goals against, keep scoring the same amount our troubles are over, not like against Brentford, B/ham or Preston where we let in a total of 9. So surely you are advocating a change in our defensive approach but keep our striking options the same, this surely means a different approach in our playing formation or new/ different players in defence, either way a modification or change which SC seems against. Not trying to be contradictory but you must admit to achieve a better defensive performance we either need replacement players or a change in our playing systems and neither seems very forthcoming.
City have been bossed once this season. A better defensive shape can be achieved not by abandoning a formation, but by more personal responsibility. 3-5-2 also can mean a quick transition into 5- 4-1 when out of possession. However goals have been conceded this season with six players dropping behind the ball, and the goals that shouldn't happen happened. Six is enough to deal with most situations = stop cross, goalside, on toes = more personal responsibility. Goals conceded from corners, don't require changes in formation or XI, defending corners needs payers to carry out roles e.g First ball winners = Again more personal responsibility. Football is about marginal gains. Burnley stole a game by being better marginally at set pieces. City's first ball winners on crosses were second due to getting in poor starting positions e.g under runners instead of jumping early /attacking cross. . Individuals on the training ground , working on corners can take that marginal % into the XI and matchday and Burnley or whoever it is don't have the opportunity to nick it.
We may not have been bossed much but somewhere we have gone seriously wrong, A disappointing return of five points from a possible 24, City have won just once in eight games and City are in the relegation zone and only Rotherham United are beneath us. It may be down to player personal responsibility but the manager selects the team and they play to his tactics, it's up to him to discipline the player, change the selection or style, one win in eight is pathetic regardless and surely something has got to change.
Since when is having the lions share of possession a guarantee that it will win games ? Scoring more goals than the opposition/conceding less, usually does the trick.
Since when is having the lions share of possession a guarantee that it will win games ? Most teams that have the Lions share of possession nearly always win. Most teams that have the majority of possession generally win. Most teams that have significantly less possession than their opponents generally lose, and if that becomes a norm they get relegated. Scoring more goals than the opposition/conceding less, usually does the trick. Yes. More possession = more opportunity for shots = more goals. More possession = Less opportunity for the opposition.
Didn't we have LESS possession in the ONLY game we actually WON? http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/3394434
And? Which is not a rude and. Ben Hamer was on top form, all did their second jobs beyond attacking ... Generally teams that concede 69% of possession do lose. Don't base a season on that sort of theory that the opposition monopolizing the ball is ok., if that is what is, all right if you have players set up/ to do it constantly. Mr Cotterrill indicates the team is set up to keep the ball v long ball pomo % style approaches. I will agree. City have been playing at times well this season. Keep the ball, do the second jobs better and that ONLY will change.
the statistic says we had 30% however for the second half it was more like 20% we were in front % wise at 10mins played
At Boro we scored first and defended well so we showed we can do it. In all the other games (other the game that we went down to 10men) we have been behind and chasing games. So I agree with Clifton, keep the ball and do the second jobs better and get our noses in front
What I am saying is; we lost most of our games when we dominated possession and we won (possibly) the only game when we had less. Your theory doesn't work with Bristol City on this season - although it may do with every other club/season.
Possession is only any good if it has an end product. Most of the games where we have had a lot of it were in games where we had already fallen one goal behind. Opposition have let us have the ball because they know we are prone to giving the ball away and being exposed on the counter. I wonder what percentage of our possession was in the final third?
The emphasis must be that the two out of the back three that are continually found some 40 to 50 yards in front of Flint do not continue this cavalier approach any longer. They are clearly operating under orders from "He who must be obeyed" so it is clear to me that SC has to revise his instructions to Ayling and Williams. We would then be playing with 3-5-2 instead of what has become 1-2-4-2 with Aden Flint left all alone to cope with the opposition galloping forward through the wide open spaces.
Its not a theory. City have in games done much that is right, they were battering Burnley at home for instance but individual mistakes meant they would have had to score two goals to draw. Mr Cotterill is right, cut the mistakes out ..
Ayling and Williams need to concentrate on defending and not charging forward exposing flint. Our midfield needs to remember that they have a defensive duty. Personally I would switch to a back four until we get a few points on the board and confidence improves. I would drop Pack as he offers nothing creative and often shirks his defensive duties by failing to track his man.
Think SC is on about things like Citys six footers remembering to jump against their six footers to keep the ball out of the net at corners. heres another when wing backs bomb on they can also bomb back. All helps and SC is calling for the team to stand up with lots of we've and us and we're.
Confusion rules the day followed quickly by even more confusing comments from SC. Frankly I am totally confused and starting to become really bored with the same lack of action year in and year out and others expecting us to get excited about anything Bristol City.
We'll Continue to Play the Right Way - Cotterill L O S E = = WRONG WAY W I N = = RIGHTWAY DRAW = = = "getting there" or " not working yet "
