The Dolman Pragmatist

How come we’re only a place off the play-offs then? Patchy form, but not struggling.

Tell me if i’m wrong, but weren’t there eleven other players out there?

We didn’t sink today. We increased our points total by one and consolidated our position in the play-off zone. I’m reasonably pleased with that.

Sorry, but Diony would have been entirely wrong today, and Woodrow was a goid shout. There were two teams out there today. We bossed the first half; Leeds shook themselves up at half time and played very well in the second half. A draw is a draw. You might as well say that we didn’t win today because we didn’t have Aguero, or Kane, or any other player. Fact is that with the squad we have we got a creditable draw at Leeds which, as Bobby Reed said, they who’d have taken before the game. No disrespect, but Johnson is the manager, not you, and I think we’re having a pretty decent season.

Sorry, but 6 for Kent? I thought he was embarrassing. 2 would be about right. On the other hand I thought Pack had one of his best games of the season.

It may be unfashionable to say it but, with one or two exceptions, I thought the reactions on Gaschat were pretty respectful. The discussion on how our success impacts on them is interesting, and perhaps i’m in a tiny minority but I respect any football fans who support their local club. I’ve always enjoyed the rivalry with the Gas, it’s part and parcel of being a football fan.

‘He clearly isn’t isn’t a left back? I suspect he’ll be one of 32 playing in that position in Russia next summer!

Just in passing, they used my then block of flats in Royal Park Clifton for some of the filming of The History Man, which was bloody inconvenient at the time, but gave us a bit of notoriety when the serial became so popular. It was from there that I walked down to Ashton Gate for many a top tier match between 1976 and 1980, memorably being locked out by my flatmate (who was from Liverpool) after we beat said League Champions in 1977... Looking forward to picking up some points today!

We didn't, though, did we?

Yes, but even if we lost our games by -4, Blackburn would still need to win theirs by +6, so still pretty unlikely.

The word that came to my mind was 'heroic'. To recover from a goal down twice, and to see Bailey Wright apologising for his error and then the team fighting so hard to get back on top had me welling up.

Not quite, but even if they won both their games Blackburn would need to overturn a deficit of 9 goals, which is pretty unlikely.

Huge game today. If we lose and Forest and Blackburn win, then we're virtually all level with two to play, and we then have to go to Brighton and spoil their title celebrations, which I can't see happening. Even if we are all just about level for the final match, I don't fancy our chances against Brum, especially with the return of Cotterill For me today is very much a must-win. A draw wouldn't be completely disastrous, providing other teams don't win, but a defeat will put us evens to go down, I fear.

I've tried to see the positives all season, and made myself unpopular at times, but tonight I just feel saddened by the whole thing. I still don't like the viciousness and the vitriol on this forum, because I thing people have really tried to make things work, but clearly it hasn't. The worst for me is the January transfer window which seems to have ripped the confidence out of the side, with a lot of money spent for players most of whom at the moment are barely contributing. We still have a good chance of staying up, with four at home and Blackburn to play, but I've run out of reasons to justify to my friends who support other clubs why there should be no change. With real regret, I have to concede that I can no longer find a reason for Lee Johnson to remain our Head Coach

'Single handedly'? No one else involved then?

He was a very good left back against Huddersfield...

I agree with the suggestion that we need four points from tonight and Saturday. My worry is that I don't think we'll beat Wolves, so we need a good performance tonight. The players need to step up to the plate. We have got the ability to do it.

Really? We take a 2-0 lead against the top side in the division at all their place, and come out with a 2-2 draw, and you can't be pleased? Tragic.

Utter rubbish. You should be ashamed. Is that really the best you can do?

Jesus, you're a miserable and joyless lot. He's picked a squad of professional footballers, pretty much in the positions you'd expect. Our two centre forwards are out, so he's brought back Wilbraham, who hasn't let us down before. You don't know how fit or unfit players, but you just can't wait to condemn, can you? I really despair. Can you do nothing but complain, even before the bl**dy match is underway?

Decent selection, though I'd have had Pack instead of Korey Smith. I was pretty sure that Wilbraham would start, and quite right for this fixture.

Full of cliches. 'Lack of guts' 'no belief' 'lack of defensive discipline'. Football isn't like that. A lead of 3-0 doesn't guarantee you a victory because there was another team out there, and probably a better one than us. Fact is we held on for a draw. The suggestion that LJ 'let this happen' is so staggeringly crass and naive that it defies belief. Are you for real? Come on, you're gas, aren't you?

Whereas 0-3 to 3-0 would presumably show a fundamental strength? Look, we're all disappointed, but when Liverpool came back from three down at half time in the Champions League final, I don't remember anyone suggesting it was because Milan were sh*t.

Please explain why it is any different to any other 3-3 draw, apart from in the inevitable sense of disappointment?

I can't believe this forum, or perhaps I should. If we had been 3-0 down at half time and come back to get a 3-3 draw, people would have been hailing a fantastic point. The fact is we were playing a very good side who had the same number of players as us, and we scored three goals each. It doesn't matter what order they were scored in. They scored three and we scored three. It was a good point. Of course it's disappointing, having been in the lead, but it's still a good point. Those who say they would have been happy with a point before the game should be happy. We got a point.