TomThumb84

May have been mentioned elsewhere but I think this is a problem for us. When Wells/Conway were together it was integral to our system and the way we played. All pace and guile and clever runs down the sides in a partnership that just works. There is no science or footballing rationale for it on a personal relationship level. It just happens sometimes. Now, Semenyo has to play. He has to. Why wouldn't he? Especially if we are hoping he stays with us longterm, and if he is not starting, he is off. But it destabilises us, and confuses me. I feel like he has to play, but also feel we are a better unit without him. Its hard. Individually in the Top 2 talents at the club but we just dont click when he starts, in this system. Thats my view. I have made no secret of the fact that I am a massive Nahki Wells fan, and Tommy Conway looks lost without him on the pitch, so this is tough all round. Leave Antoine out? Leave Weimann out? Go back to WSM? Wont work in this formation in my view. No answers to this other than tough ones. I also think in our chosen formation, having two wingbacks that could deliver crosses with menace would help but thats a different thread. Sunday morning musings!!

Tough one this as Semenyo is such a talent but I fear Wells and Conway as a duo are much more of a threat than individually playing with one other. Semenyo may have to be the one we cash in on in Jan. Got to think of the dynamics of the side, and we need to persevere with what has worked for us. The alternative is we return to the Weimann, Semenyo Martin trio but thats a step back on how we are trying to play now and harsh on Wells and Conway.

Agree with this completely. The fortitude he has shown to take the task on with the mess that we were in, and then slowly but surely turning that around to the genuine optimism we find ourselves feeling now, is a testament to him and NP deserves full credit. Particularly with the restraints financially. All done with measured and honest communication and a refreshing lack of soundbite and drama. I hope he is able to bring tangible success as a reward for taking us on when we were in a worse situation than many realised and it could easily have gone the other way. Not there yet but I have long thought NP would do what he is doing now.

Anyone berating Naismith and yet praising our change in fortunes and style is contradicting themselves. The guy is integral to what we are achieving, is the outfield leader and voice, and tempo setter. Yes, there are mistakes in there but with him it enables us to play the way we are. You cannot have one without the other so I suggest we ride it out as I love this side at the moment.

I think we are seeing a very decent centre-forward, who is a consummate professional. How you deem he is overrated because we signed him and have not known how to use him is contradictory and a bit conflicting as its a Mark Ashton thing, not a Nahki Wells thing. Bit of a ranty post if I am honest mate, which does not make much sense. Anyway, all the best and come on you redddddsssssss.

“Always be the overrated symbol of the Ashton age” Like, what?! I rate your posts but this is a bit wild. The guy is spearheading our side. Relax a bit!

Got to go with Wells and Conway. Proper partnership. Semenyo still playing himself out of rust and what a sub he will be in the meantime. I think giving Conway a rest for Semenyo is the option in a couple of weeks, for me Wells has to start with one other. Finally seeing the player we signed.

Hate them. Hate that some Bristolians I know care about them. Hate that there is a thread about them on our Bristol City forum.

Smudger Smith for me. But only in the warm up the keeper pre-game scenario. Got into the game and despite running 60 yards in 7 seconds 9 times he would invariably scuff 80% of his delivery. Loved him mind.

Conway & Scott on the bench? Thats it then, off to Spurs both of them for £30 million combined.

Turner knocks em over and Taylor knocks em in. Those were the days. Wells and TC have a way to go to get to the dizzy heights of our famed “Boys from The County Hell” (as The Bountyhunter once described them I believe), but a great start.

Model professional and good finisher signed by an egomaniac desperate to get any striker in and we had no idea how to use him: Feel for him as he joined us at a time when we are/were a basketcase of a club. Has never moaned, always tried and is a big reason around the emergence of Conway. Ive always liked him. We look a good side with him in it at the moment and thats good enough for me.

Looks like the Gas got properly dealt with tonight. Hopefully mad-dog Joey can go back to slagging off his over-performing no-mark players now and stop making outlandish remarks about catching us when he was clearly delirious after beating 10 man Burton, and scraping past an off-colour Oxford.

A behemoth of a performance. Nathan Jones is that irritating mind he could nause anyone off sufficiently to make them focussed enough to play like Jaap Stam.

We were good tonight. Loved the pace and guile of TC and Nahki, and Naismith, Atkinson and Vyner were a proper unit. 8/10’s all over the pitch. The sending off was an orange card in my view and could have gone either way, but with predictable refs in this league he was always going to walk him. Shame as theres a lot to like about Sykes. Proper win that. Looked like they were together and desperate for it. Oh and a moment I particularly loved was Scotty ditching someone with a lovely sliding tackle, megging the next clown and then narrowly getting his pass wrong. I think he forgot Martin had replaced Conway and was never getting there! You Redssssssss.

Odd selection in my view. Decide to commit to a formation with high wing-backs, sign the League Two player of the year who is an attacking high wing-back, and play a player who spent all pre-season reinventing himself as a “10” at right wing-back. Sykes and Vyner down the right side it is. I also think Conway is effective when with Wells and has talked about the partnership they have struck up. For me you play both (as I would have today) or neither. Ill take a point there today.

Cash in on Scott & Semenyo, get TC & Nakhi up there, plough the money into a defensive midfielder. Could get Rodri for the money we would make (no, not that one again).

Defender picked to be a defender makes a number of regular and consistent mistakes leading to goals for the opposition over a number of seasons. Gets two assists and is all of a sudden “scapegoated” and “does not deserve all the criticism”. I love this forum mind.

Zak Vyner did what Zak Vyner does yesterday and marred an otherwise solid performance with a piece of defending that blows your mind. How he did not think to get touch tight and send Simms wide onto his left peg for that goal was painful to watch. Naismith was at fault for the other two goals but doubt he will have a game like that again this year. Unfortunately Zak will though, probably next week if picked. Thats not scapegoating but educated fact based on his time with us.

More lives than a cat has Zak. I want all our players to succeed but I am struggling with him. No matter how much coaching you have, natural instinct counts for a lot and he just seems to be off of it. Switches off, gets caught out, and very wasteful with the ball too. I trust Nige though so he must see a player in there, although everyone seems to and ultimately gets let down.

So anyone totting up how much £ in players have walked out of the door or been moved on that were signed during Mark Ashton’s ego-driven spending spree without a sell-on value? About £12m I make it, but working it out properly makes me depressed and sad. ”Value on the pitch”…..

How dare they even try to diminish God Taylor like that, at that time, for him, that was a bad miss and he was probably disappointed not to at least work the keeper.

Thats just white noise mate. All the best - I’ll look forward to your balanced, insightful and in-depth analysis again when the season starts.

Ha ha ha I’m the oddball, a quick timewaste over your posting history makes that accusation incredibly ironic. You got the number of astericks right for what I think you were hoping to get across so thats an achievement.

You need to find a new club I think pal! You seem to hate everything about us.