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

[Judda]

13 hours ago, Snufflelufagus said:

A comprehensive report thanks. A genuine question do you actually take notes? As I've no idea how you remember all that.

Clearly not drinking enough cider!

[Lordofthebling]

I thought Korey was fantastic yesterday, and had Baker as my MOTM. 

For me, he didn't seem 100% committed to the cause when on loan - but that opinion has totally changed. Absolute battering ram. 

Going to Carrow Road last season and seeing us for the most part, dominated in every area - it was great progress to see us competing and asking questions. 

Long may it continue. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Great report as always @Olé . Gives those of us who weren't there a real insight.

Listening on radio, thought Norwich better first half, we were better second. Point about fair, keeps things ticking over nicely.

[Major Isewater]

15 hours 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)

All that from Radio Bristol commentary . 

 

 

 

[Major Isewater]

1 hour ago, Lordofthebling said:

I thought Korey was fantastic yesterday, and had Baker as my MOTM. 

For me, he didn't seem 100% committed to the cause when on loan - but that opinion has totally changed. Absolute battering ram. 

Going to Carrow Road last season and seeing us for the most part, dominated in every area - it was great progress to see us competing and asking questions. 

Long may it continue. 

Korey played one absolute pearl of a defence splitting ball shame that it came to nothing . 

I still feel that there is more to come from the lad .

He needs lessons in finishing to become a Prem player though ! 

[Major Isewater]

14 hours 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?

The danger of listening to commentary I'm afraid.

It really was a very even contest . We should feel happier with a point as the away side.

Frankly , we must be horrible to play against this season.

 

[Ian M]

This is a graphical representation of "pressure" (according to the opta stats) during the match. It does look pretty even and a point from one of the more difficult places to visit can't be sniffed at. 

(Green lines = home team, blue lines = away team)

 

[Lanterne Rouge]

6 minutes ago, Ian M said:

This is a graphical representation of "pressure" (according to the opta stats) during the match. It does look pretty even and a point from one of the more difficult places to visit can't be sniffed at. 

(Green lines = home team, blue lines = away team)

 

That sort of reinforces what you think goes on in most even matches. Home team come out the blocks and go at the away one who then settle and start to come into it a bit more. The home team then pile it on again before HT. The away team comes out after the break and goes for it a bit and then drop off allowing the home team to go for it again. The last period sees the away team thinking `hang on, we could nick this` and puts a bit of pressure on until it becomes clear they`re not going to. The home team then have a bit of concerted pressure at the end hoping to win it at the death.

Dead easy this stats lark innit!

[Olé]

As several have pointed out, I have underrated Korey quite unfairly. I thought he had a good game but not a great game, which is a clue to the "do I take notes" question - I don't, I just have some abiding memories for each player and in Korey's case while we ran the midfield the actual incidents that stood out were a couple of loose passes that sold teammates short in our own half, and the poor finish when setup outside the box.

That does overlook all the work he did for the majority of the game to limit Norwich playing through midfield, so yes, my bad, he would need to be higher than a 6 for a central midfield that were so comfortable. The specific difference with Brownhill for me was that while Korey sat in and played a fairly one dimensional role, I watched Brownhill second half and he was back and forth in the middle driving us forward and chasing back.

One other point worth correcting, @TETBURY MASSIVE has kindly alerted me to the fact the referee yesterday was a full foot taller than Keith Stroud, who name is given everywhere (both official sites and every news outlet). The fact he had a good game and Keith Stroud is routinely hated should perhaps also have been a clue. Looking at the full list of officials and using Google images, it could have been the fourth official "Neil Hair".

Neil Hair hasn't refereed above conference level but his stats for this season look similar - he's frugal with cards - (EDIT, referee now identified on Twitter as "Robert Jones") the referee yesterday I thought did a refreshing job of not reacting to every tackle, tumble or physicality and trying to let the game flow. We often complain about natural order of refs and that bad ones get sent down from the Prem to us. Perhaps there should be more effort to promote good ones like this up the leagues too.

[Davefevs]

16 hours ago, 1960maaan said:

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.
 

I hate listening on the radio, it always seems like you’re under the cosh. I was away for the weekend relying on Twitter and Sky Sports News. I don’t think SSN actually went to Carrow Rd for an update. 

The twitter feed seemed like a pretty even contest, which away from home against a team like Norwich is good!

[pillred]

19 hours ago, Red Army 75 said:

Great write up as usual. Saves me buying a paper in the morning 

thought the same, I think he missed his calling.

[Major Isewater]

18 minutes ago, pillred said:

thought the same, I think he missed his calling.

There'll be another along in half an hour . 

[Major Isewater]

18 minutes ago, pillred said:

thought the same, I think he missed his calling.

There'll be another along in half an hour . 

[pillred]

4 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

There'll be another along in half an hour . 

that was only 5 minutes.

[stephenkibby.]

3 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I hate listening on the radio, it always seems like you’re under the cosh. I was away for the weekend relying on Twitter and Sky Sports News. I don’t think SSN actually went to Carrow Rd for an update. 

The twitter feed seemed like a pretty even contest, which away from home against a team like Norwich is good!

Listening to the game on radio yesterday it did sound at times like a goal for them was imminent.

Don't know why I do it. Look forward to it all day then when it starts its excruciating. The last game that I was totally relaxed listening to was the Bradford away game!!!!

[1960maaan]

11 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I hate listening on the radio, it always seems like you’re under the cosh. I was away for the weekend relying on Twitter and Sky Sports News. I don’t think SSN actually went to Carrow Rd for an update. 

The twitter feed seemed like a pretty even contest, which away from home against a team like Norwich is good!

I listen toRB when Ihave no other option, but it's not great. Funny enough I was chatting to a couple of Norwich fans earlier. One said he thought 2nd half if anyone was going to win it was going to be us.