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1960maaan

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1960maaan

1960maaan

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Piece from the Metro. Sorry if this has been posted elsewhere. Mods , merge delete or moderate as you will.

MANY learned pundits and columnists have had their say on Bristol City’s epic Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Manchester United, but I think comedian and lifelong Robin Mark Watson summed it up most succinctly and intelligently when he tweeted… ‘Unfu**ingbelievable’.No, really. It is. What he said. Only without the asterix.That soul-stirring scene of manager Lee Johnson running down the touchline to celebrate Korey Smith’s late winner, joyously twirling around officially the cutest ball boy in the world ever, becomes even more fantastical given the back story.

Earlier this very Gregorian calendar year, they were a team stuck in a horrible rut. His address was posted online, his kids were verbally abused at school and, after signing Matty Taylor from Bristol Rovers, an actual death threat from a village idiot forced the 36-year-old and his family to move.Johnson’s typical day was a living hell but owner Steve Lansdown continued to believe in him.He is the real hero in all of this. He has developed the stadium, has just announced plans for new training facilities, spent wisely on the team and kept faith in a young English gaffer.On Wednesday, Bristol City showed a wider audience what Championship fans have seen for most of the season — a group of men with more togetherness than 300 Spartans.

Not being able to pick a clear man of the match is standard when it comes to this mob. Sure, Joe Bryan was immense but they are a one-to-11 kinda deal. Doggedly defensive when they need to dig in, or on the front foot, playing brave passing football. They did both against the mighty Manchester United.

They have won nine of their last 11 but, tellingly, eight of those have come via a single goal. It’s this never-say-die togetherness that has seen them score from almost every possible position. While Bobby Reid is in double figures, 15 other players have league strikes to their name.

In the Carabao Cup, they have scored more goals, and scored more goals from more players, than any other team, on their way to taking four Premier League scalps. Talented, yes, but undoubtedly greater than the sum of their parts, and they are a side who may just be having more fun than any other in English football.
When they score they tweet out ridiculous goal GIFs of the applicable player doing a stupid dance or a daft skit. Some scoff but I love it.
And while promotion to the Premier League remains the priority, their exploits in this cup go beyond a simple giant-killing.

Ask yourself this — do you remember those days when Bristol City, a big team from a big city, were in the top flight?

No, neither do I. It was 1980. I was three-years-old and more concerned with Star Wars, space hoppers and vodka.

On Wednesday night, more than 200,000 people tweeted ‘Bristol City’, while millions more read about their club for the first time in ages. It was a declaration to a football-mad nation that they are on the cusp of something special.

Could it all go wrong? Possibly. Wolves are the Championship’s class act and I see as many as another eight teams in with a shout of that other automatic place and the heart-stopping, glorious brutality of the play-offs.

However, if it doesn’t happen this season, it will happen soon enough, just so long as the owner remains steadfast in his philosophy.

Lee Johnson summed Bristol City 2017 up perfectly when he said, ‘Sometimes you have to use the bricks that are thrown at you to build the foundation to move forward’, and it would take a sledgehammer to shatter the spirit at Ashton Gate.

Pep, if you are reading this, best not play the kids, eh?

 

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Vincent Vega

Vincent Vega

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10 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

Piece from the Metro. Sorry if this has been posted elsewhere. Mods , merge delete or moderate as you will.

MANY learned pundits and columnists have had their say on Bristol City’s epic Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Manchester United, but I think comedian and lifelong Robin Mark Watson summed it up most succinctly and intelligently when he tweeted… ‘Unfu**ingbelievable’.No, really. It is. What he said. Only without the asterix.That soul-stirring scene of manager Lee Johnson running down the touchline to celebrate Korey Smith’s late winner, joyously twirling around officially the cutest ball boy in the world ever, becomes even more fantastical given the back story.

Earlier this very Gregorian calendar year, they were a team stuck in a horrible rut. His address was posted online, his kids were verbally abused at school and, after signing Matty Taylor from Bristol Rovers, an actual death threat from a village idiot forced the 36-year-old and his family to move.Johnson’s typical day was a living hell but owner Steve Lansdown continued to believe in him.He is the real hero in all of this. He has developed the stadium, has just announced plans for new training facilities, spent wisely on the team and kept faith in a young English gaffer.On Wednesday, Bristol City showed a wider audience what Championship fans have seen for most of the season — a group of men with more togetherness than 300 Spartans.

Not being able to pick a clear man of the match is standard when it comes to this mob. Sure, Joe Bryan was immense but they are a one-to-11 kinda deal. Doggedly defensive when they need to dig in, or on the front foot, playing brave passing football. They did both against the mighty Manchester United.

They have won nine of their last 11 but, tellingly, eight of those have come via a single goal. It’s this never-say-die togetherness that has seen them score from almost every possible position. While Bobby Reid is in double figures, 15 other players have league strikes to their name.

In the Carabao Cup, they have scored more goals, and scored more goals from more players, than any other team, on their way to taking four Premier League scalps. Talented, yes, but undoubtedly greater than the sum of their parts, and they are a side who may just be having more fun than any other in English football.
When they score they tweet out ridiculous goal GIFs of the applicable player doing a stupid dance or a daft skit. Some scoff but I love it.
And while promotion to the Premier League remains the priority, their exploits in this cup go beyond a simple giant-killing.

Ask yourself this — do you remember those days when Bristol City, a big team from a big city, were in the top flight?

No, neither do I. It was 1980. I was three-years-old and more concerned with Star Wars, space hoppers and vodka.

On Wednesday night, more than 200,000 people tweeted ‘Bristol City’, while millions more read about their club for the first time in ages. It was a declaration to a football-mad nation that they are on the cusp of something special.

Could it all go wrong? Possibly. Wolves are the Championship’s class act and I see as many as another eight teams in with a shout of that other automatic place and the heart-stopping, glorious brutality of the play-offs.

However, if it doesn’t happen this season, it will happen soon enough, just so long as the owner remains steadfast in his philosophy.

Lee Johnson summed Bristol City 2017 up perfectly when he said, ‘Sometimes you have to use the bricks that are thrown at you to build the foundation to move forward’, and it would take a sledgehammer to shatter the spirit at Ashton Gate.

Pep, if you are reading this, best not play the kids, eh?

 

Deserves more likes. 

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Septic Peg

Septic Peg

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And this from none other than Peter Crouch in the Daily Fail... I reckon we have a new convert...

The embarrassment was awful. It was one of those nights when you want the ground to swallow you up and the frustration stays with you for days.

After we had taken care of Rochdale in the second round of the Carabao Cup in August, our reward in the next round was a trip to Bristol City. This was a competition we had aspirations of going far in and a tie with a Championship team, on paper, did not look too problematic.

Getting to Wembley again is a big aspiration for everyone at Stoke. We have been in the Premier League 10 years now but there is a desire to give the fans a big day out, as was the case when we played Manchester City in the FA Cup final in 2011.

I'd love to win the League Cup. It's not been a great competition for me. The closest I got was a semi-final against Liverpool two years ago and we should have won that game only for a couple of idiots missing penalties in the shootout at Anfield. 

Simon Mignolet saved my shot and as it bounced back to me, I punched the ball in frustration. A lot of my missus' family are Liverpool fans and they said it looked like I was punching the air to celebrate, as if I was saying 'get in!' Scandalous...

We know how tough it is to win something but to do it would be massive. So the Carabao Cup wasn't something we were going to take lightly and we headed to Ashton Gate full of confidence.

No players were rested. The manager didn't consider rotation. We were going to Bristol to win, to keep our dream of going to Wembley alive, but we ended up losing 2-0 and were well beaten.

Getting knocked out by a team from a division below is one of the worst experiences you can have. Even falling behind is dreadful and I can still remember what it was like when I played for Liverpool and Havant and Waterlooville took the lead against us at Anfield in the FA Cup 10 years ago.

Unfortunately, I've been on the end of a few Cup shocks and Bristol was another. The quietness on our coach as we left Ashton Gate reflected the mood. Privately, though, I felt we'd lost to a Championship team in name only. 

It wasn't just the quality of their football. They work so hard. So I kept an eye on them. I've been so impressed with their progress and, when I settled down to watch the quarter-final on Wednesday, I had a genuine feeling they'd do something against Manchester United. Everything about Bristol City is geared up for the Premier League. It starts with the stadium, then they have Lee Johnson, a young, hungry manager. He has put together a side in his image and the occasion was right for them. You can say Man United weren't 'at it' but that was credit to Bristol City for not allowing them to play.

A 'worldie' from Joe Bryan gave them the lead, then they stuck at it in the second half and kept their composure to win at the death. Now they find themselves in the semi-final, their route having taken them past Watford, ourselves, Crystal Palace and United. Lucky? What they have done so far doesn't sound lucky to me…

Bristol City have been just what the Carabao Cup has needed. Some clubs rest players and rotate too much and show it a lack of respect but there are times when it doesn't help itself. I mean, what is this new penalty system? I watched Leicester against Manchester City and couldn't work out what was going on. What was wrong with the old format? Everyone knows where they stand. You toss the coin and if you have to go second, it's the luck of the draw.

4785EC1900000578-5205877-image-m-39_1513951977773.jpg Bristol City's players celebrate after scoring a late winner to reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals 477CC46000000578-5205877-image-m-41_1513952046739.jpg Manager Lee Johnson celebrates after seeing off Jose Mourinho's side in dramatic fashion

And speaking of draws, the Carabao Cup hasn't helped itself this season. One draw was at 4am, another was supposed to be live on Facebook but they couldn't make it work so posted the quarter-final line-up without anyone seeing. What chance have they got of avoiding criticism?

It has been fantastic to see Bristol City give it a shot in the arm. Now why can't they win it? I don't see any reason. What you have to remember is these players are fighting for their lives in this Cup, they might not get another chance. It's massive for them.

Manchester City, on the other hand, are fighting on every front. And if they rest the top boys, I genuinely don't see a reason why Bristol City haven't got a chance. It would be amazing if they did it. If the semi-final line-up had been City, United, Arsenal and Chelsea, I probably wouldn't have bothered to tune in.

But Bristol City have changed everything. Now I'll definitely be watching to see if their dream can continue.

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Tin Soldier

Tin Soldier

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Anyone who likes football will relate to the passion we as a club demonstrated to a national TV audience during the Man U game.  If we had played that game a year or two ago, we would have lied down and died - not with this lot.

Yeh, we had a pitch invasion (naughty, naughty) but TV viewers love watching fans enjoy themselves like we did last Wednesday night. Passion is infectious and why people connect with football clubs like a lot of us on here do.

Games like last Wednesday have a “connection” to a wider TV audience also, who are just armchair fans in reality but everyone loves an underdog. My Man U mate I work with, said to me “Your lot should be in the Prem”.

Any many like fairy tales! Peter Crouch and Co have connected with Bristol City also.

Could this season be one? The story will unfold in 2018. That game I sincerely hope is a turning point for us?

What gives me hope also, is the fact that SL & LJ are a very close unit - and in football, that is very rare nowadays.

COYRs.

 

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ZiderEyed

ZiderEyed

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10 minutes ago, GasDestroyer said:

Anyone who likes football will relate to the passion we as a club demonstrated to a national TV audience during the Man U game.  If we had played that game a year or two ago, we would have lied down and died - not with this lot.

Yeh, we had a pitch invasion (naughty, naughty) but TV viewers love watching fans enjoy themselves like we did last Wednesday night. Passion is infectious and why people connect with football clubs like a lot of us on here do.

Games like last Wednesday have a “connection” to a wider TV audience also, who are just armchair fans in reality but everyone loves an underdog. My Man U mate I work with, said to me “Your lot should be in the Prem”.

Any many like fairy tales! Peter Crouch and Co have connected with Bristol City also.

Could this season be one? The story will unfold in 2018. That game I sincerely hope is a turning point for us?

What gives me hope also, is the fact that SL & LJ are a very close unit - and in football, that is very rare nowadays.

COYRs.

 

Everyone I've talked to about the game spoke very highly about the passion and atmosphere at AG - people that don't watch football outside of the premiership. Sky and the corporate bunch are the only ones that are against a good old fashioned pitch invasion. I know it's a cliche but this has MASSIVELY put us on the map. It's amazing.

It really feels like it's written in the stars. It's such a beautiful thing to be a part of.

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West Hill Red

West Hill Red

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4 minutes ago, ZiderEyed said:

Everyone I've talked to about the game spoke very highly about the passion and atmosphere at AG - people that don't watch football outside of the premiership. Sky and the corporate bunch are the only ones that are against a good old fashioned pitch invasion. I know it's a cliche but this has MASSIVELY put us on the map. It's amazing.

It really feels like it's written in the stars. It's such a beautiful thing to be a part of.

Martin Keown loves us too, nice words on On The Ball earlier. 

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JamesBCFC

JamesBCFC

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1 hour ago, ZiderEyed said:

Everyone I've talked to about the game spoke very highly about the passion and atmosphere at AG - people that don't watch football outside of the premiership. Sky and the corporate bunch are the only ones that are against a good old fashioned pitch invasion. I know it's a cliche but this has MASSIVELY put us on the map. It's amazing.

It really feels like it's written in the stars. It's such a beautiful thing to be a part of.

The thing is, having watched it on BCTV, I really don't think the TV did the atmosphere justice, yet people have still been saying how amazing it was.

The only constant is I haven't been able to hear the final whistle at all such was the noise, and, if you watch closely I think Pogba's booking was partly down to the noise in the ground. Whether he was shouting at the ref to be heard or something I'm not sure, but he definitely indicates he couldn't hear.

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ZiderEyed

ZiderEyed

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Just now, JamesBCFC said:

The thing is, having watched it on BCTV, I really don't think the TV did the atmosphere justice, yet people have still been saying how amazing it was.

The only constant is I haven't been able to hear the final whistle at all such was the noise, and, if you watch closely I think Pogba's booking was partly down to the noise in the ground. Whether he was shouting at the ref to be heard or something I'm not sure, but he definitely indicates he couldn't hear.

That's amazing! I can only think how much that atmosphere must've helped us on the night, incredible.

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