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A different case study in team & manager being the real deal


Olé

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Last season it became a bit of a cliché how my reports foretold the quality of the team even if the initial results were misleading. To be honest I found it all a bit embarrassing, in the words of Roy Walker it's not hard to say what you see and I didn't think I had any particular insight, it shouldn't be a surprise that the way the team play is most indicative of standards and progress.

This season we have already been (Brentford aside) significantly better than I can remember at this level and Lee Johnson has gone a long way to redeeming himself. But you always need a selection of winnable/losable games to form clearer judgement and today delivered another lesson in how far we have progressed.

Today after a first half Norwich shaded we had a) a perfect half time adjustment from our manager and b) an absolutely dominant second half display to run the game and offer only one winner. In our recent run we've had some impressive performances but I actually take even more faith from seeing the team look so comfortable in taking control of a knife edge match and winning everything in defence and in midfield. People usually do that to us.  

The first half was very even, if anything we got away with poor finishing from Norwich who got wide and broke quickly, setting up several clear chances in front of goal that Norwich wasted. In fact you could say they did a number on us as they stopped us pressing by committing players wide and looking to break quickly, so limiting us getting any sustained pressure at the other end, where Diedhiou and Reid looked more isolated than they have been.

The prime culprit in this was Leko who has looked sensational the past two games but was completely taken out of today's match. They made sure their full back was pushed up on him and their winger was further forward and Leko did not know where to play - there was no hole and they closed him down quickly if the ball got near him. He suddenly looked just the 18 year old he is and wasn't able to get on the ball or stop them playing through him.

While largely an even half, Norwich created all the clear chances on the break while we played short passing through the middle as per usual but were limited only to a Brownhill shot from distance, not getting behind them and only having square balls outside the box to shoot from. Norwich skewed two clear chances wide but the other feature of their forward play was their young number 11 tumbling theatrically a couple of times. The ref didn't book him but then he didn't book anyone until the 90th minute in an excellent free flowing officiating performance.

The feature of the game for me was the comprehensive number Lee Johnson did to take control of the game at half time. It's no secret that I didn't believe in much of what he did last season but I've given him praise for a very different style of football and energy this season (Brentford aside) and today he has further cemented for me that he now knows how the team should play and what to do to adjust. Taking Leko off was obvious but he got O'Dowda on hugging the wing and giving us the outlets to push them back and then press.

Later he'd also rightly identify that Diedhiou, despite winning a lot of headers, was not getting behind the defence nor contributing to the slick forward interplay we so exploit these days, and introduced Taylor, which increased our ability to run in behind them and spread the defence. There was only one team controlling the game second half, Smith and Brownhill in particular absolutely ran midfield, our centre backs cleared up anything fired forward, the home team looked exactly like those familiar City sides at home that totally run out of ideas.

Brownhill and O'Dowda both had chances from outside the box as we continued to pick out shooting opportunities around the box, before our first really quick passing move saw O'Dowda thread Paterson in and he lifted a dipping shot - out best of the game - that the keeper had to tip over in mid air. Any response from Norwich was eaten up quickly by Smith and Brownhill in midfield who by now looked to be in full control.

Reid had a shot cut out, Bryan was put clear on the left and fired way over, before yet another attempt to play in the late running man outside the box saw the ball squared to Korey on the edge of the box with the goal fairly open, but his first time shot was loose and high when a more accomplished finisher would have drilled home. In all this time Norwich had threatened very little such was our complete control of the midfield and our back line.

The last five minutes was uncharacteristically scrappy. Keith Stroud was the best referee I've seen in a while with the amount of common sense he used to just let the players play, but he started to call out shoulder barges and other physicality and in the end Norwich got a couple of set pieces to boot the ball into the box from which they had a couple of good chances, one that we desperately cut out, another that they hammered over. 

It would have been a travesty as Johnson had absolutely run the second half with his changes, and in the end this was a goalless draw that like many of the away games last season had a performance that said more about the team and the manager than the result would. We rode our luck and looked second best in the first half but we adjusted perfectly at half time and it's a long long time since I've seen City look so comfortable for an entire half of football away at a decent team. 

Ladies and gentlemen this City squad is the real deal and it's manager is making me a believer. The football is a country mile better than last season, we are not scared to pass the football forward where last season we would panic and pass backwards and unlike Tammy we have willing runners across the front to build and press with. But the real difference for me is we finally do not look like conceding and have a set of central defenders who will kick, head or harass anything that comes near them. We haven't looked this solid at Championship level for years.

Finally Brownhill, I watched him for some of the second half as I was trying to understand how we were winning midfield so easily. If you drew the pitch as three thirds, he covered every blade of the middle one back and forth, he was pushed up behind the strikers as we broke and an absolute terrier when we were without the ball. Norwich were thoroughly harassed by him. He's still young and he is going to be quite a player.

 

Fielding 7

Flint 7

Baker 8

Wright 8

Bryan 7

Leko 4 (O'Dowda 7)

Smith 6

Brownhill 9

Paterson 7 (Pack 6)

Reid 7

Diedhiou 6 (Taylor 7)

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10 minutes ago, Olé said:

Last season it became a bit of a cliché how my reports foretold the quality of the team even if the initial results were misleading. To be honest I found it all a bit embarrassing, in the words of Roy Walker it's not hard to say what you see and I didn't think I had any particular insight, it shouldn't be a surprise that the way the team play is most indicative of standards and progress..........   

 ............ Norwich were thoroughly harassed by him. He's still young and he is going to be quite a player.

Great report, and interesting read  as usual @Olé

:clapping:

Great to hear  LJ doing well in the tactical joust

:thumbsup:

 

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11 minutes ago, Olé said:

Last season it became a bit of a cliché how my reports foretold the quality of the team even if the initial results were misleading. To be honest I found it all a bit embarrassing, in the words of Roy Walker it's not hard to say what you see and I didn't think I had any particular insight, it shouldn't be a surprise that the way the team play is most indicative of standards and progress.

This season we have already been (Brentford aside) significantly better than I can remember at this level and Lee Johnson has gone a long way to redeeming himself. But you always need a selection of winnable/losable games to form clearer judgement and today delivered another lesson in how far we have progressed.

Today after a first half Norwich shaded we had a) a perfect half time adjustment from our manager and b) an absolutely dominant second half display to run the game and offer only one winner. In our recent run we've had some impressive performances but I actually take even more faith from seeing the team look so comfortable in taking control of a knife edge match and winning everything in defence and in midfield. People usually do that to us.  

The first half was very even, if anything we got away with poor finishing from Norwich who got wide and broke quickly, setting up several clear chances in front of goal that Norwich wasted. In fact you could say they did a number on us as they stopped us pressing by committing players wide and looking to break quickly, so limiting us getting any sustained pressure at the other end, where Diedhiou and Reid looked more isolated than they have been.

The prime culprit in this was Leko who has looked sensational the past two games but was completely taken out of today's match. They made sure their full back was pushed up on him and their winger was further forward and Leko did not know where to play - there was no hole and they closed him down quickly if the ball got near him. He suddenly looked just the 18 year old he is and wasn't able to get on the ball or stop them playing through him.

While largely an even half, Norwich created all the clear chances on the break while we played short passing through the middle as per usual but were limited only to a Brownhill shot from distance, not getting behind them and only having square balls outside the box to shoot from. Norwich skewed two clear chances wide but the other feature of their forward play was their young number 11 tumbling theatrically a couple of times. The ref didn't book him but then he didn't book anyone until the 90th minute in an excellent free flowing officiating performance.

The feature of the game for me was the comprehensive number Lee Johnson did to take control of the game at half time. It's no secret that I didn't believe in much of what he did last season but I've given him praise for a very different style of football and energy this season (Brentford aside) and today he has further cemented for me that he now knows how the team should play and what to do to adjust. Taking Leko off was obvious but he got O'Dowda on hugging the wing and giving us the outlets to push them back and then press.

Later he'd also rightly identify that Diedhiou, despite winning a lot of headers, was not getting behind the defence nor contributing to the slick forward interplay we so exploit these days, and introduced Taylor, which increased our ability to run in behind them and spread the defence. There was only one team controlling the game second half, Smith and Brownhill in particular absolutely ran midfield, our centre backs cleared up anything fired forward, the home team looked exactly like those familiar City sides at home that totally run out of ideas.

Brownhill and O'Dowda both had chances from outside the box as we continued to pick out shooting opportunities around the box, before our first really quick passing move saw O'Dowda thread Paterson in and he lifted a dipping shot - out best of the game - that the keeper had to tip over in mid air. Any response from Norwich was eaten up quickly by Smith and Brownhill in midfield who by now looked to be in full control.

Reid had a shot cut out, Bryan was put clear on the left and fired way over, before yet another attempt to play in the late running man outside the box saw the ball squared to Korey on the edge of the box with the goal fairly open, but his first time shot was loose and high when a more accomplished finisher would have drilled home. In all this time Norwich had threatened very little such was our complete control of the midfield and our back line.

The last five minutes was uncharacteristically scrappy. Keith Stroud was the best referee I've seen in a while with the amount of common sense he used to just let the players play, but he started to call out shoulder barges and other physicality and in the end Norwich got a couple of set pieces to boot the ball into the box from which they had a couple of good chances, one that we desperately cut out, another that they hammered over. 

It would have been a travesty as Johnson had absolutely run the second half with his changes, and in the end this was a goalless draw that like many of the away games last season had a performance that said more about the team and the manager than the result would. We rode our luck and looked second best in the first half but we adjusted perfectly at half time and it's a long long time since I've seen City look so comfortable for an entire half of football away at a decent team. 

Ladies and gentlemen this City squad is the real deal and it's manager is making me a believer. The football is a country mile better than last season, we are not scared to pass the football forward where last season we would panic and pass backwards and unlike Tammy we have willing runners across the front to build and press with. But the real difference for me is we finally do not look like conceding and have a set of central defenders who will kick, head or harass anything that comes near them. We haven't looked this solid at Championship level for years.

Finally Brownhill, I watched him for some of the second half as I was trying to understand how we were winning midfield so easily. If you drew the pitch as three thirds, he covered every blade of the middle one back and forth, he was pushed up behind the strikers as we broke and an absolute terrier when we were without the ball. Norwich were thoroughly harassed by him. He's still young and he is going to be quite a player.

 

Fielding 7

Flint 7

Baker 8

Wright 8

Bryan 7

Leko 4 (O'Dowda 7)

Smith 6

Brownhill 9

Paterson 7 (Pack 6)

Reid 7

Diedhiou 6 (Taylor 7)

Really great report thank you for sharing hope your journey home is good

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14 minutes ago, Olé said:

Last season it became a bit of a cliché how my reports foretold the quality of the team even if the initial results were misleading. To be honest I found it all a bit embarrassing, in the words of Roy Walker it's not hard to say what you see and I didn't think I had any particular insight, it shouldn't be a surprise that the way the team play is most indicative of standards and progress.

This season we have already been (Brentford aside) significantly better than I can remember at this level and Lee Johnson has gone a long way to redeeming himself. But you always need a selection of winnable/losable games to form clearer judgement and today delivered another lesson in how far we have progressed.

Today after a first half Norwich shaded we had a) a perfect half time adjustment from our manager and b) an absolutely dominant second half display to run the game and offer only one winner. In our recent run we've had some impressive performances but I actually take even more faith from seeing the team look so comfortable in taking control of a knife edge match and winning everything in defence and in midfield. People usually do that to us.  

The first half was very even, if anything we got away with poor finishing from Norwich who got wide and broke quickly, setting up several clear chances in front of goal that Norwich wasted. In fact you could say they did a number on us as they stopped us pressing by committing players wide and looking to break quickly, so limiting us getting any sustained pressure at the other end, where Diedhiou and Reid looked more isolated than they have been.

The prime culprit in this was Leko who has looked sensational the past two games but was completely taken out of today's match. They made sure their full back was pushed up on him and their winger was further forward and Leko did not know where to play - there was no hole and they closed him down quickly if the ball got near him. He suddenly looked just the 18 year old he is and wasn't able to get on the ball or stop them playing through him.

While largely an even half, Norwich created all the clear chances on the break while we played short passing through the middle as per usual but were limited only to a Brownhill shot from distance, not getting behind them and only having square balls outside the box to shoot from. Norwich skewed two clear chances wide but the other feature of their forward play was their young number 11 tumbling theatrically a couple of times. The ref didn't book him but then he didn't book anyone until the 90th minute in an excellent free flowing officiating performance.

The feature of the game for me was the comprehensive number Lee Johnson did to take control of the game at half time. It's no secret that I didn't believe in much of what he did last season but I've given him praise for a very different style of football and energy this season (Brentford aside) and today he has further cemented for me that he now knows how the team should play and what to do to adjust. Taking Leko off was obvious but he got O'Dowda on hugging the wing and giving us the outlets to push them back and then press.

Later he'd also rightly identify that Diedhiou, despite winning a lot of headers, was not getting behind the defence nor contributing to the slick forward interplay we so exploit these days, and introduced Taylor, which increased our ability to run in behind them and spread the defence. There was only one team controlling the game second half, Smith and Brownhill in particular absolutely ran midfield, our centre backs cleared up anything fired forward, the home team looked exactly like those familiar City sides at home that totally run out of ideas.

Brownhill and O'Dowda both had chances from outside the box as we continued to pick out shooting opportunities around the box, before our first really quick passing move saw O'Dowda thread Paterson in and he lifted a dipping shot - out best of the game - that the keeper had to tip over in mid air. Any response from Norwich was eaten up quickly by Smith and Brownhill in midfield who by now looked to be in full control.

Reid had a shot cut out, Bryan was put clear on the left and fired way over, before yet another attempt to play in the late running man outside the box saw the ball squared to Korey on the edge of the box with the goal fairly open, but his first time shot was loose and high when a more accomplished finisher would have drilled home. In all this time Norwich had threatened very little such was our complete control of the midfield and our back line.

The last five minutes was uncharacteristically scrappy. Keith Stroud was the best referee I've seen in a while with the amount of common sense he used to just let the players play, but he started to call out shoulder barges and other physicality and in the end Norwich got a couple of set pieces to boot the ball into the box from which they had a couple of good chances, one that we desperately cut out, another that they hammered over. 

It would have been a travesty as Johnson had absolutely run the second half with his changes, and in the end this was a goalless draw that like many of the away games last season had a performance that said more about the team and the manager than the result would. We rode our luck and looked second best in the first half but we adjusted perfectly at half time and it's a long long time since I've seen City look so comfortable for an entire half of football away at a decent team. 

Ladies and gentlemen this City squad is the real deal and it's manager is making me a believer. The football is a country mile better than last season, we are not scared to pass the football forward where last season we would panic and pass backwards and unlike Tammy we have willing runners across the front to build and press with. But the real difference for me is we finally do not look like conceding and have a set of central defenders who will kick, head or harass anything that comes near them. We haven't looked this solid at Championship level for years.

Finally Brownhill, I watched him for some of the second half as I was trying to understand how we were winning midfield so easily. If you drew the pitch as three thirds, he covered every blade of the middle one back and forth, he was pushed up behind the strikers as we broke and an absolute terrier when we were without the ball. Norwich were thoroughly harassed by him. He's still young and he is going to be quite a player.

 

Fielding 7

Flint 7

Baker 8

Wright 8

Bryan 7

Leko 4 (O'Dowda 7)

Smith 6

Brownhill 9

Paterson 7 (Pack 6)

Reid 7

Diedhiou 6 (Taylor 7)

Fantastic report as always mate. Things are looking good like you say. Fair play and well done to LJ and the team, long may it continue. 

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Defintely dont think we dominated the second half.  Harsh on Smith and generous on Brownhill

All of Johnsons subs made sense today and they all added something to our game.  The latter two to become a bit more solid and ensure we got a point.  I am a Johnson fan but will wait till we lose 2 in a row and see what happens then before getting to excited 

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12 minutes ago, RedDave said:

Defintely dont think we dominated the second half.  Harsh on Smith and generous on Brownhill

All of Johnsons subs made sense today and they all added something to our game.  The latter two to become a bit more solid and ensure we got a point.  I am a Johnson fan but will wait till we lose 2 in a row and see what happens then before getting to excited 

What if we don't lose 2 in a row?  :fingerscrossed:

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24 minutes ago, Olé said:

The prime culprit in this was Leko who has looked sensational the past two games but was completely taken out of today's match. They made sure their full back was pushed up on him and their winger was further forward and Leko did not know where to play - there was no hole and they closed him down quickly if the ball got near him. He suddenly looked just the 18 year old he is and wasn't able to get on the ball or stop them playing through him.

3

Very good report Ole and I agree with the ratings. I think it was brave to start Leko away to Norwich and an exciting selection (one I pretty much agree with given the last couple of performances). So my next bit is very much written with hindsight. I think Pissanno is the key here - if he is playing he will push forward work the winger defensively and give more space to Leko. If he is not playing then COD is probably a better option, he offers defensive support for Wright who is having to play out of position and will work up and down the pitch almost like a wing back - offering support upfront and at the back.

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Great report as always.Just got back myself.

Just one of those games for me really. We look entirely comfortable at this level, and right now a solid mid table side, maybe a little better.

I thought Norwich certainly shaded the first half, most certainly on chances, but it was never ever a ten in the box clinging on effort from City, quite the opposite. Most of their chances I can recall came from breaks. We looked very solid when we had to, with Baker my MoM.

Just one of those days when our most dangerous players did not really click. Reid, Fammy and most certainly Leko not really doing all that much. To many players making bad choices after promising moves.  

I suspect one of those games a neutral fan of another team in this league would have came away thinking 'not to much to worry, neither of them look great' but as the match wore on I thought we were going to nick it. Came away a little frustrated we had not, but I suppose that shows the progress we are making. Norwich are pretty decent at home.

It is thin thin lines. A game I suspect one of the current top three in their current form would have found a way to win, and Bolton to lose. Five draws out of nine shows that we are certainly competitive. We have played better this year for sure, but still have got a decent point, Follow it up with a  win v Bolton, and its all good. Take nothing for granted however - our one loss has been to Birmingham! 

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Great review @Olé , I was stuck with Radio Bristol and it sounded like they were well on top 2nd half, nice to hear slightly different to my perception.
Last year we were mentally weak and (I think LJ may have said he tried to be too complicated) it look like the manager didn't know what he was doing , more to the point the players didn't. 
Already this year LJ has proved he can adapt, has learnt and has gained a plan B , something I didn't think he looked capable of last year.  I am still a way off being a fan , but credit where it's due he has grown as have the team.
As for Brownhill , I was saying how good he could be last year. I hope we sort his contract soon.
 

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1 hour ago, Olé said:

Last season it became a bit of a cliché how my reports foretold the quality of the team even if the initial results were misleading. To be honest I found it all a bit embarrassing, in the words of Roy Walker it's not hard to say what you see and I didn't think I had any particular insight, it shouldn't be a surprise that the way the team play is most indicative of standards and progress.

This season we have already been (Brentford aside) significantly better than I can remember at this level and Lee Johnson has gone a long way to redeeming himself. But you always need a selection of winnable/losable games to form clearer judgement and today delivered another lesson in how far we have progressed.

Today after a first half Norwich shaded we had a) a perfect half time adjustment from our manager and b) an absolutely dominant second half display to run the game and offer only one winner. In our recent run we've had some impressive performances but I actually take even more faith from seeing the team look so comfortable in taking control of a knife edge match and winning everything in defence and in midfield. People usually do that to us.  

The first half was very even, if anything we got away with poor finishing from Norwich who got wide and broke quickly, setting up several clear chances in front of goal that Norwich wasted. In fact you could say they did a number on us as they stopped us pressing by committing players wide and looking to break quickly, so limiting us getting any sustained pressure at the other end, where Diedhiou and Reid looked more isolated than they have been.

The prime culprit in this was Leko who has looked sensational the past two games but was completely taken out of today's match. They made sure their full back was pushed up on him and their winger was further forward and Leko did not know where to play - there was no hole and they closed him down quickly if the ball got near him. He suddenly looked just the 18 year old he is and wasn't able to get on the ball or stop them playing through him.

While largely an even half, Norwich created all the clear chances on the break while we played short passing through the middle as per usual but were limited only to a Brownhill shot from distance, not getting behind them and only having square balls outside the box to shoot from. Norwich skewed two clear chances wide but the other feature of their forward play was their young number 11 tumbling theatrically a couple of times. The ref didn't book him but then he didn't book anyone until the 90th minute in an excellent free flowing officiating performance.

The feature of the game for me was the comprehensive number Lee Johnson did to take control of the game at half time. It's no secret that I didn't believe in much of what he did last season but I've given him praise for a very different style of football and energy this season (Brentford aside) and today he has further cemented for me that he now knows how the team should play and what to do to adjust. Taking Leko off was obvious but he got O'Dowda on hugging the wing and giving us the outlets to push them back and then press.

Later he'd also rightly identify that Diedhiou, despite winning a lot of headers, was not getting behind the defence nor contributing to the slick forward interplay we so exploit these days, and introduced Taylor, which increased our ability to run in behind them and spread the defence. There was only one team controlling the game second half, Smith and Brownhill in particular absolutely ran midfield, our centre backs cleared up anything fired forward, the home team looked exactly like those familiar City sides at home that totally run out of ideas.

Brownhill and O'Dowda both had chances from outside the box as we continued to pick out shooting opportunities around the box, before our first really quick passing move saw O'Dowda thread Paterson in and he lifted a dipping shot - out best of the game - that the keeper had to tip over in mid air. Any response from Norwich was eaten up quickly by Smith and Brownhill in midfield who by now looked to be in full control.

Reid had a shot cut out, Bryan was put clear on the left and fired way over, before yet another attempt to play in the late running man outside the box saw the ball squared to Korey on the edge of the box with the goal fairly open, but his first time shot was loose and high when a more accomplished finisher would have drilled home. In all this time Norwich had threatened very little such was our complete control of the midfield and our back line.

The last five minutes was uncharacteristically scrappy. Keith Stroud was the best referee I've seen in a while with the amount of common sense he used to just let the players play, but he started to call out shoulder barges and other physicality and in the end Norwich got a couple of set pieces to boot the ball into the box from which they had a couple of good chances, one that we desperately cut out, another that they hammered over. 

It would have been a travesty as Johnson had absolutely run the second half with his changes, and in the end this was a goalless draw that like many of the away games last season had a performance that said more about the team and the manager than the result would. We rode our luck and looked second best in the first half but we adjusted perfectly at half time and it's a long long time since I've seen City look so comfortable for an entire half of football away at a decent team. 

Ladies and gentlemen this City squad is the real deal and it's manager is making me a believer. The football is a country mile better than last season, we are not scared to pass the football forward where last season we would panic and pass backwards and unlike Tammy we have willing runners across the front to build and press with. But the real difference for me is we finally do not look like conceding and have a set of central defenders who will kick, head or harass anything that comes near them. We haven't looked this solid at Championship level for years.

Finally Brownhill, I watched him for some of the second half as I was trying to understand how we were winning midfield so easily. If you drew the pitch as three thirds, he covered every blade of the middle one back and forth, he was pushed up behind the strikers as we broke and an absolute terrier when we were without the ball. Norwich were thoroughly harassed by him. He's still young and he is going to be quite a player.

 

Fielding 7

Flint 7

Baker 8

Wright 8

Bryan 7

Leko 4 (O'Dowda 7)

Smith 6

Brownhill 9

Paterson 7 (Pack 6)

Reid 7

Diedhiou 6 (Taylor 7)

Thanks for this mate. Like I've said elsewhere - I'm starting to believe.

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1 hour ago, Olé said:

Last season it became a bit of a cliché how my reports foretold the quality of the team even if the initial results were misleading. To be honest I found it all a bit embarrassing, in the words of Roy Walker it's not hard to say what you see and I didn't think I had any particular insight, it shouldn't be a surprise that the way the team play is most indicative of standards and progress.

This season we have already been (Brentford aside) significantly better than I can remember at this level and Lee Johnson has gone a long way to redeeming himself. But you always need a selection of winnable/losable games to form clearer judgement and today delivered another lesson in how far we have progressed.

Today after a first half Norwich shaded we had a) a perfect half time adjustment from our manager and b) an absolutely dominant second half display to run the game and offer only one winner. In our recent run we've had some impressive performances but I actually take even more faith from seeing the team look so comfortable in taking control of a knife edge match and winning everything in defence and in midfield. People usually do that to us.  

The first half was very even, if anything we got away with poor finishing from Norwich who got wide and broke quickly, setting up several clear chances in front of goal that Norwich wasted. In fact you could say they did a number on us as they stopped us pressing by committing players wide and looking to break quickly, so limiting us getting any sustained pressure at the other end, where Diedhiou and Reid looked more isolated than they have been.

The prime culprit in this was Leko who has looked sensational the past two games but was completely taken out of today's match. They made sure their full back was pushed up on him and their winger was further forward and Leko did not know where to play - there was no hole and they closed him down quickly if the ball got near him. He suddenly looked just the 18 year old he is and wasn't able to get on the ball or stop them playing through him.

While largely an even half, Norwich created all the clear chances on the break while we played short passing through the middle as per usual but were limited only to a Brownhill shot from distance, not getting behind them and only having square balls outside the box to shoot from. Norwich skewed two clear chances wide but the other feature of their forward play was their young number 11 tumbling theatrically a couple of times. The ref didn't book him but then he didn't book anyone until the 90th minute in an excellent free flowing officiating performance.

The feature of the game for me was the comprehensive number Lee Johnson did to take control of the game at half time. It's no secret that I didn't believe in much of what he did last season but I've given him praise for a very different style of football and energy this season (Brentford aside) and today he has further cemented for me that he now knows how the team should play and what to do to adjust. Taking Leko off was obvious but he got O'Dowda on hugging the wing and giving us the outlets to push them back and then press.

Later he'd also rightly identify that Diedhiou, despite winning a lot of headers, was not getting behind the defence nor contributing to the slick forward interplay we so exploit these days, and introduced Taylor, which increased our ability to run in behind them and spread the defence. There was only one team controlling the game second half, Smith and Brownhill in particular absolutely ran midfield, our centre backs cleared up anything fired forward, the home team looked exactly like those familiar City sides at home that totally run out of ideas.

Brownhill and O'Dowda both had chances from outside the box as we continued to pick out shooting opportunities around the box, before our first really quick passing move saw O'Dowda thread Paterson in and he lifted a dipping shot - out best of the game - that the keeper had to tip over in mid air. Any response from Norwich was eaten up quickly by Smith and Brownhill in midfield who by now looked to be in full control.

Reid had a shot cut out, Bryan was put clear on the left and fired way over, before yet another attempt to play in the late running man outside the box saw the ball squared to Korey on the edge of the box with the goal fairly open, but his first time shot was loose and high when a more accomplished finisher would have drilled home. In all this time Norwich had threatened very little such was our complete control of the midfield and our back line.

The last five minutes was uncharacteristically scrappy. Keith Stroud was the best referee I've seen in a while with the amount of common sense he used to just let the players play, but he started to call out shoulder barges and other physicality and in the end Norwich got a couple of set pieces to boot the ball into the box from which they had a couple of good chances, one that we desperately cut out, another that they hammered over. 

It would have been a travesty as Johnson had absolutely run the second half with his changes, and in the end this was a goalless draw that like many of the away games last season had a performance that said more about the team and the manager than the result would. We rode our luck and looked second best in the first half but we adjusted perfectly at half time and it's a long long time since I've seen City look so comfortable for an entire half of football away at a decent team. 

Ladies and gentlemen this City squad is the real deal and it's manager is making me a believer. The football is a country mile better than last season, we are not scared to pass the football forward where last season we would panic and pass backwards and unlike Tammy we have willing runners across the front to build and press with. But the real difference for me is we finally do not look like conceding and have a set of central defenders who will kick, head or harass anything that comes near them. We haven't looked this solid at Championship level for years.

Finally Brownhill, I watched him for some of the second half as I was trying to understand how we were winning midfield so easily. If you drew the pitch as three thirds, he covered every blade of the middle one back and forth, he was pushed up behind the strikers as we broke and an absolute terrier when we were without the ball. Norwich were thoroughly harassed by him. He's still young and he is going to be quite a player.

 

Fielding 7

Flint 7

Baker 8

Wright 8

Bryan 7

Leko 4 (O'Dowda 7)

Smith 6

Brownhill 9

Paterson 7 (Pack 6)

Reid 7

Diedhiou 6 (Taylor 7)

Like you I have tried to spend a bit of time watching Brownhill but over the last 3-4 games I have seen him in. The lad has everything to be a very good player and he's getting better every week. If he can bag a few goals also then he will either make us a big heap of cash or be the driving force in midfield for a fair few years.

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Listening to radio Bristol it certainly didn’t come across like we were in control. On the contrary apart from a few occasions it sounded like if anyone was going to win it was Norwich.

Seems that either the radio commentary appeared pessimistic or the report is overly optimistic?

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16 minutes ago, aa_bcfc said:

Listening to radio Bristol it certainly didn’t come across like we were in control. On the contrary apart from a few occasions it sounded like if anyone was going to win it was Norwich.

Seems that either the radio commentary appeared pessimistic or the report is overly optimistic?

Norwich didn't even have a chance in the second, not one of note anyway. We probably had the better opportunities, while they definitely did in the first half.

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We are lucky to have so many who can post informative and well thought out posts. 

Havana's MDT, Spudksi and Ole are always well worth a read.

For someone who can't get to games very often, thanks Ole for honest and constructive reporting on the game. Also good to see your reflection on how you see things have changed for the better this season. 

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Although I'm in the pro LJ camp thought his substitutions today were obvious.

Be interested to see if he starts with Leko at Ipswich next week.  He's an exciting prospect but is a lot further down his learning curve than Tammy was last year.  Might be best used as an impact sub away from home.

 

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agree with report overall and that the introduction of CO'D helped us control the second half. With more composure in final 1/3 think we could easily have taken the 3 points (guess same could be said of Norwich though). Solid point and well deserved. 3 points Tuesday may well have us in a play off position, which would represent a great start to the season. Given the strength in depth in the squad no reason to expect we cannot maintain a challenge throughout the season. Only looking upwards!

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Good report Ole, just 2 differences for me.

1. I think you have Brownhill confused with Korey. He was the key to controlling the midfield yesterday.

2. I wouldn't say we dominated the second half. After weathering a spell of Norwich pressure we looked comfortable on the whole but didn't threaten at all tbh, maybe a few half chances at best. Dominated is a term I would save for a performance like last week vs Derby for instance. 

 

 

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