v Bristol City (H) Match Thread

[DRBee]

2 hours ago, KCG said:

I think the problem is that Cocu hasn't yet worked out his best team/formation, which is maybe not surprising given how long he has been here. Frank had all of last season and never resolved the conundrum, so let's hope Cocu is better at the job.

 

Football is a simple game, we need to attack with pace and accuracy, and press when we do not have the ball. At the moment we are struggling to do the simple things.

 

 

In truth last season we were sometimes as bad as we were last night - the same problems with some of the same personnel are on view. 

Too easily brushed off the ball , too slow to make even wrong decisions and poor passing. When we-played well last season it was when we passed the ball much quicker and got more players forward. Cocu's teams are looking a bit defensive to me. One up front against a back three  and a midfield ( as it started last night) with both Bielik and Huddlestone centre midfield just won't work.

[jono]

10 hours ago, Taribo said:

Genuine question, and not one I pretend to know the answer to - how much of us being better with three at the back was down to Bristol sitting back on a two-goal lead? I thought Bristol were unspectatular, but at the same time extremely well organised and managed the game well.

Three at the back will be fun to watch though!

 

I'd be tempted to put Evans in defence and have Bielik in the middle. Still think Shinnie has a role to play. Looked tidy against Girona and from reports he is a go getter with a bit of bite - which we really missed last night. I'm not happy about Dowell, he has a bit of Butterfield about him. I hope he proves me wrong but looks like he's able but cruising in the effort department.

[Tyler Durden]

There are a number of comments on here saying we didn't play that badly and gave away two poor goals and yet the consensus on the poll is that it was a 5 out of 10 performance, can't seem to reconcile the two

[brady1993]

20 minutes ago, jono said:

I'd be tempted to put Evans in defence and have Bielik in the middle. Still think Shinnie has a role to play. Looked tidy against Girona and from reports he is a go getter with a bit of bite - which we really missed last night. I'm not happy about Dowell, he has a bit of Butterfield about him. I hope he proves me wrong but looks like he's able but cruising in the effort department.

I'd be tempted to do something a little different. 

I'd move Clarke central, put Buchanan in as the left CB and like you push Bielik forward. I think we need someone with pace in the left CB or it's a bit too easy to target.

RWB is a bit of a dilemma, I'd be tempted to stick with Jozefsoon for now because of lack of options and we need the width. Bennett is possibly worth a try though. 

                      Roos

           Keogh Clarke Buchanan 

Jozefsoon      Bielik              Lowe

         Dowell/Lawrence   Knight

                Waghorn   Mariott

 

[KCG]

1 hour ago, DRBee said:

In truth last season we were sometimes as bad as we were last night - the same problems with some of the same personnel are on view. 

Too easily brushed off the ball , too slow to make even wrong decisions and poor passing. When we-played well last season it was when we passed the ball much quicker and got more players forward. Cocu's teams are looking a bit defensive to me. One up front against a back three  and a midfield ( as it started last night) with both Bielik and Huddlestone centre midfield just won't work.

I agree, tbh it's been our failing from McClaren to-date (won't mention Nigel Clough, I try to forget that period!).

[VulcanRam]

25 minutes ago, Tyler Durden said:

There are a number of comments on here saying we didn't play that badly and gave away two poor goals and yet the consensus on the poll is that it was a 5 out of 10 performance, can't seem to reconcile the two

Let me help you. 

We didn't play that badly. It was about a 5 out 10 kind of performance. 

[Anag Ram]

Didn't help that we played long high balls up to Waghorn v Baker, Kalas and Wright. None too bright. 

[dcfcfan1]

We were garbage, lets face it tbh

[RadioactiveWaste]

Although, of course, if things go badly we could always send up the bat signal........

 

[Tyler Durden]

4 minutes ago, VulcanRam said:

Let me help you. 

We didn't play that badly. It was about a 5 out 10 kind of performance. 

5 out of 10 is bad though 

[Alph]

5 out of 10 is more of a meh with a hint of eee aaaw

[europia]

7 hours ago, Jourdan said:

Without a win on Saturday, it would be 1 or possibly 2 points from 9. And you’re right, fans will boo and ’It’s bloody rubbish, Cocu. Bloody rubbish’ will rain down from the stands.

Perspective might be needed. We haven’t had a particularly easy start at home and the longer you go without a home win, the harder the next home game becomes. Had we beaten Swansea, the home games to follow probably would have a different, more relaxed feel to them.

As it is, there will probably be pressure on Cocu and the boys on Saturday. I am not hopeful. I think WBA are playing us at a good time.

The thing is, West Brom and Bristol City were in the mix for promotion last year and will be up there again this year, so maybe the boo boys need to take that into account.

If we lose and the players are booed off on Saturday, then there should have been riot scenes when we lost to Millwall and Burton in seasons past.

Yes fair points. A win at Stoke might have helped, and possibly easier to achieve than beating Bristol and WBA, who are both a tad better than we are at present. 

[Marriot Ram99]

1 hour ago, jono said:

I'd be tempted to put Evans in defence and have Bielik in the middle. Still think Shinnie has a role to play. Looked tidy against Girona and from reports he is a go getter with a bit of bite - which we really missed last night. I'm not happy about Dowell, he has a bit of Butterfield about him. I hope he proves me wrong but looks like he's able but cruising in the effort department.

 based off last night Buttercrap is better than Dowell , as poor as Jacob was he was never that poo on the ball ,Dowell gave the ball away like it was going out of fashion and his 2 shots were woeful.

[jono]

54 minutes ago, VulcanRam said:

Let me help you. 

We didn't play that badly. It was about a 5 out 10 kind of performance. 

Your probably right in terms of performance and the effort towards the end might even have nudged it to 6.

But we lost = -1 ... at home = -1 ... in my mind that is a 4. Harsh but true

[VulcanRam]

5 minutes ago, jono said:

Your probably right in terms of performance and the effort towards the end might even have nudged it to 6.

But we lost = -1 ... at home = -1 ... in my mind that is a 4. Harsh but true

Therefore 5  seems about right! 

Anyway, I didn't even say it was a 5 out of 10 performance. 

I just joined in to be facetious. 

[Marriot Ram99]

3 out of 10 for me, without Marriott on we would have done duck all and both the goals we conceded were a pure disgrace ,in addition we were absolutely awful with the ball, Reminded me of the Paul Jewell end days and Nigel clough's first year when I first watched games, no creativity, never looked like scoring apart from the odd cross or some moment of quality from nothing , and easy to sit back against . Only reason we deserve a 3 is becuase we only lost by 1 and the goal was good. What did my head in, was the movement was abysmal, so many of our midfielders were hiding and taking up shocking positions.

[Spanish]

@DavesaRam thanks for the well considered commentary which I enjoyed reading.  When you read some of the one line posts that follow you may wonder whether it was worth it.  Please keep up the effort.  It will be interesting to see how cocu copes with this challenge.  I think he is stubborn and it will take a lot to change his loyalty to certain key players.  I will be interested to see whether hudz starts next time out

[VulcanRam]

1 hour ago, Tyler Durden said:

5 out of 10 is bad though 

Sorry mate, I was just mucking about. 

I refer you to @Alpha answer above.

Anyway I'm watching Preston 3 - 0 Stoke. Stoke's isn't a 5 out of 10 performance, I can at least tell you that.

[VulcanRam]

2 minutes ago, Marriott Ram99 said:

3 out of 10 for me, without Marriott on we would have done duck all and both the goals we conceded were a pure disgrace ,in addition we were absolutely awful with the ball, Reminded me of the Paul Jewell end days and Nigel clough's first year when I first watched games, no creativity, never looked like scoring apart from the odd cross or some moment of quality from nothing , and easy to sit back against . Only reason we deserve a 3 is becuase we only lost by 1 and the goal was good. What did my head in, was the movement was abysmal, so many of our midfielders were hiding and taking up shocking positions.

That's a tad over the top. It wasn't as bad as that by any stretch of the imagination. It was at least a 4.

[Marriot Ram99]

1 hour ago, Tyler Durden said:

5 out of 10 is bad though 

how is 5 bad, when it is 50% of 10 ?  If someone said something is a 5 out of 10 people would think that is quite poo, but you would think that 5 should be just ok , for me 3 is bad and 1 or 2 are properly shocking like the Scunthorpe 4-1  loss at home or the loss away at Villa last season. Strange tangent I know, but to make it clear my 3 might be the same as someone else's 5.