BCFC Rich

I think the possession stat is thrown because for nearly the entire 2nd half we were 2 up and didn't need to chase the game. So we were able to let them have the ball and almost say see if you can play through us. It's part of what I thought made a confident performance. The press was great and disciplined, we weren't in a hurry to get it back. We were confident the opportunity to do so would come.

I think LM pretty much said that's what it would be like - having a general style of play, but also coaching the players with different options and letting them problem-solve to work out what is working and not working once on the pitch.

:laugh: - this post made me think - I loved Annis today (I mentioned elsewhere more so for his defensive performance!). I was commenting just a few weeks ago we need someone for the left forward position and that it should be a priority in Jan - I'm not saying we shouldn't be looking or that Twine wouldn't be a great signing, but in just a few performances from Annis it already feels a less pressing concern. I think the most exciting thing about it is it still feels like he can improve from where he is.

Top, top, top post! Wish we could all acknowledge that without the back-and-forth point scoring. Great performance today, no way we play like that without having both Manning and Pearson having been at the club. Let's enjoy it!

Good post. I think the key is to get to the point where we can change the tenses in your sentence - "Everyone knows their role. We move forward with purpose." then we know we're onto something. They actually start of by praising our Match Day thread and praise it for having info they didn't even know about Watford! Once again great stuff @Jerseybean quote - "Damn, we need to up our game!" Their comments on the game are below: Looks like Manning has done a number on us, we can't seem to find any space at all, yet they seem to have bags of it, especially down our right. 2-0 is a fair scoreline... All too easy for Bristol City. A stroll in the park for them. Bristol have just been sharper than us all game. Frustrating. Wow, this has been absolutely atrocious, how disappointing after a decent few games. Thought Bristol City looked decent, could be in the play offs come the end of the season. Smith on comms is saying it hasn't been a 1-4 game, but let's just say it's been far more a 1-4 game than Preston was a 5-1 game! All too easy for City. They didn't need to break a sweat. They were confident of a victory and it was simple for them, a Christmas gift. Can they get 5 . We could have lost at Preston and Blackburn by the same score. We concede chances and are a liability at the back sometimes. When you go 2 down you have no choice but to leave spaces chasing the game. Lovely of the lads to be full of christmas spirit and give Bristol City so many gifts, so proud of them for such a selfless act. Normal service will be resumed next game. Bristol City played with the confidence of a side with a new manager bounce, and the energy of a side who had an extra day's rest. Fair play to Bristol City as they approached the game with the correct attitude and hunger and made us look like we were a group of hungover Sunday league players. Fair play to Manning, Bristol could spring a surprise on the league for the remainder of the season. Bristol left a forward between our CBs when out of possession and then pressed us high and we simply couldn’t build out from the back at all. At one point in the 2nd half they were 3-1 up away from home and holding their defensive line on the half way line - no pace in behind, no plan B from us - completely suffocated (Don't normally comment directly on the quotes, but this is where Conway is excellent - a lot of his work is ard to notice. Do like the Watford fans some good self reflection and insights). Before the rant, well done Bristol City and Manning. Setup correctly, attacked us down right where we are weakest, made Hoedt score another own goal then make him play their striker onside for their third goal. Fourth goal I didn't see because I turned it off near the end. As bad as we were, credit has to go to BC today and take nothing away from them, they battered us all game and forced us into errors and took their chances. They could have scored more goals by then though, we were lucky to get 1 today! Too many errors - gifted them 3 goals. Shame we scored then let one in straight away . We looked leggy and lazy really BC pressed us well and very dangerous on the break and down their left . We've been awesome since my decision to stop going to games. Today I decided to go for the first time since we have been good. This result is on me. I promise I will stay away. This result has been in the cards for some time. I’ve felt we’ve ridden our luck in a lot of recent performances. Today the luck ran out and the real Watford were revealed. Bristol City were excellent. That number 11 was an absolute nuisance.

To be fair if you aren't making a point why start a whole thread about this? I think if someone starts a thread and then just posts a short sentence, it's pretty fair to ask what they are getting at.

What are you talking about !- LM is either the Manager that destroyed the club!! Or the messiah that will lead us to world domination!!! Are yo seriously suggesting there is anything in between those to options!

What's going on Fevs!?! First, you reveal you don't have spreadsheets for concerts! And now you're asking questions we rely on you for! It's Christmas and I rely on you not being as lazy as me and coming up with cool stats!

I agree he was great, I personally edge towards one of the midfield because the the pressing and discipline there was so strong and the platform for a lot of our success today. I also liked Annis's performance, yes he is showing his attacking threat which we really needed (we've been weak in that left-forward role a lot of the season), but what impressed me most was his defensive play and stepping across into midfield. He actually covered runs really well today and even broke up play quite a few times.

Pretty rare where you could make a case for almost anyone to be MOTM! We were fantastic today, hard-working disciplined, and fantastic! I'd probably edge it to Williams myself, but who would you go for? That rare kind of game where it would be hard to be wrong!

Pretty sure he played him there once when spring was suspended, A load of people on here thought he was there again and went into meltdown only to find he wasn't at all. We don't exactly have a lot of cover at full-back right now.

Tommy does brilliantly there! Good hit from Annis and Syyyykeeeeessss!!

Watford forum -

Honestly, sometimes we're going to come up sides who are not on their game, but we really haven't let them play today. Genuinely much more about us today. The press has been almost perfect, the midfield 3 have been amazing, we are outplaying them and not letting them play their game.

That half was fantastic. The one criticism I would have is not being decisive enough when we had some really good opportunities - Plenty of good attacking build up then didn't result in shots on goal/chances created when they should have. The goal just before half time takes away the nagging feeling of "should of made more of that while we had the chance.." I really, really, really good performance - stopping short of saying a complete performance because of the above. Great stuff! COYR!

Prinnnnnggg! Want to see us not drop off after the goal.

These RedZone videos are often really good. A mice way to relive the victory. -

This might be the most shocking news OTIB has ever heard!!!!

Missed this, anything interesting? Or was it just general comments on the game?

I know Annis will probably get a lot of people's MOTM with the goal etc. But for me, it was Zak - he was awesome today. Some great blocks(particularly the one on Connolly 1st half) read the game well, brought it out when needed, and made some great forward balls to. When they put us under pressure he was covering. Becoming a bit of a rock and stepping up.

We were looking good in the 10/15 around the goal, then just seemed to let them into it. 2 ridiculous decisions in a row from the ref for the pen. We've been better again since going behind.

Manning pre-match press conference:

Mr P, you are one of my fav posters, but on this occasion, I think it might be more about your feelings about Villa + their fans than this actually being an issue. It seems like a club backing their player when he has received abuse. To be honest something I would like to see our club do in similar circumstances. Not 100% sure what the abuse was and how significant, but doesn't really matter - it was enough to get an emotional response from the player (one who is particularly important to the club) and it makes sense to come out in support of that player.

Cornick pretty much only gets to be a sub when we have lost, or are hanging onto a result. He very rarely has had a start. He plays the role of someone brought on in those situations really well.

(Man) City Football Group. the video is from his time working for them.