This team is good enough for promotion

[ChippenhamRed]

1 hour ago, spudski said:

With respect...surely your last sentence sums up everything.

You need a detailed analysis of what was happening at the Club during January.

We as fans have no idea what our budget within FFP allowed us in the window.

We also have no idea who we approached, who turned us down or who was available.

Plus..if we did buy in, and didn't go up...how inexcusable would it be, if we didn't have the budget to spend in the summer and recruit for this season?

As said before...it's not like going shopping in January. So many anomalies that we don't know of to take into consideration.

I wasn’t talking only about January recruitment when I said “we blew it”. I was talking more broadly about the promotion opportunity. Having been 2nd at Christmas  and then finishing 11th is unquestionably “blowing it”!

As for the recruitment specifically...I’m not disputing it’s a difficult time to buy. But the fact is every one of the signings we made failed to have any positive impact whatsoever on the ultimate outcome of the season. Given the position we were in, we were a more attractive option to prospective players than we usually are, and we didn’t manage to take advantage. We don’t need to know what went on behind the scenes to know that January was a failure; the evidence speaks for itself.

[Garland-sweden]

Still 40 games to play. But I think we look more solid this season so far. Last game our midfielders scored 3 and Famara 1. Kalas very good in defence. Esia, Scunny guy, Wright, Baker and Hegeler not yet fit. Competition in the squad make us better. Early days but I think our team is on the right track and think that we can better. Last season 11, this season top six? We will se in may. The QPR win was important and we learned to play safe and not have the most of possesion, in the long run think thats the way of play. Second half Blackburn and the Swansea game was top class. We have good players and can play good football, its about to keep it in the long run. To be top six we need a litlle bit of luck, hope we can have it. Many good teams in this leauge but I dont think they are so mutch better than City. COYR!!!

[Mr Popodopolous]

3 hours ago, ChippenhamRed said:

We finished up five places off 6th spot. When our injury list was at its longest, we were still winning matches - Garita was on the bench v Man Utd!

Actually, in the New Year, players returned and we expected a fresh impetus as a result, but it never happened.

Injuries do not excuse what happened last season. Neither does the cup run in my opinion. In the early rounds we played a second-string side and we played our last cup game on 23rd January. Plenty of other teams had to juggle FA Cup games later into the season.

Injuries and the cup run are lazy excuses that don’t stack up with a more detailed analysis. The poor January recruitment was without a doubt a much bigger factor. We blew it big time, inexcusably.

Would argue we blew a solid chance of playoffs certainly.

Top 2? Given Wolves- plus the outstanding form of Fulham, excellence of Villa, even Millwall got near 2 pts per game 2nd half of season and Cardiff also, unsure about top 2 but the cushion on Boxing Day was IMO sufficient for a realistic top 6 finish yeah.

[ChippenhamRed]

6 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Would argue we blew a solid chance of playoffs certainly.

Top 2? Given Wolves- plus the outstanding form of Fulham, excellence of Villa, even Millwall got near 2 pts per game 2nd half of season and Cardiff also, unsure about top 2 but the cushion on Boxing Day was IMO sufficient for a realistic top 6 finish yeah.

Agreed. We were never nailed on for top 2 but we certainly blew top 6.

[Monkeh]

14 hours ago, JamesBCFC said:

And the point I was making is that it doesnt help when people lie to make LJs record worse.

It was said LJ has had an implosion at every club he' says managed. That was then immediately taken as fact

It's now been categorically shown that wasn't the case.

Equally it is disingenuous to ignore context around the clubs managed- Rafa Benitez might have a chance at winning the league if he was managing one of the top 4 clubs, but at Newcastle you wouldn't expect him to.

hi did manage a top 4 club, twice in liverpool and Chelsea, he didn't win the league

[JamesBCFC]

1 hour ago, Monkeh said:

hi did manage a top 4 club, twice in liverpool and Chelsea, he didn't win the league

"have a chance at"

Do I really have to dumb down the fact that different clubs have different expectations even further than I already have?

Or are you being deliberately obtuse?

Maybe I should have said Champions League.........

[Bristol Oil Services]

11 hours ago, INCRED said:

Why not, 

Well, because other clubs have parachute payments, and more dosh, and better players, and stronger benches, and Frank Lampard, and, if I can say this on here, better/been-there-and-done-it-and-got-the-baseball-cap managers. All this, we know, makes their chances of promotion greater than ours. Nine times out of ten. 

12 hours ago, INCRED said:

 if we hadn’t had the amount of injuries and the cup run last season then surely we would have faired better in the league and made the top 6?

 

Yeah, quite probably. You certainly like to think so. We'd have been fresher, no doubt.

But as others have said, we had injuries during the cup run and playing Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday did not impact negatively on league form last autumn, going into winter.

We were 7th in the Championship when we knocked Palace out in October, then went on a run of 8 wins in 11 league games, and had climbed to 2nd by the time of the LC quarter - final. All this without Fam and a proper right back, and Bailey Wright was then suspended for 3 games, I think, in this run (and also O'Dowda was crocked during this period).

You could look at that and deduce: the cup run and beating Prem sides gave us confidence and belief, and that it benefitted the league form, tremendously. We were on a high. We were sailing along.

So, I'm not sure: was the cup run detrimental, or beneficial? Or could it have been both, first the latter, then the former? 

12 hours ago, INCRED said:

 

No league cup to worry about so just the injuries to blight any progress. 

 

From the league cup exit at the end of January, we had no cup games to worry about and players coming back from injury, notably Fam. Plus three new signings in January, fresh legs at the very least. We beat QPR with ten men a few days after Man City at home, but then our form fell off a cliff. With no cup games, and a growing squad, our confidence and belief appeared to desert us.

February was a disappointing month, with no wins. The Sunderland game was, in my view, pivotal. Three nil up at half-time, a return to winning ways was in the bag. Did we throw that away because of the cup games, and or the injuries? Patterson had his shirt pulled in the area at 3-1 or 3-2 and nothing was given, so that would've helped, but the side that clung on at Sheff Utd and Leeds couldn't do it at home v serial losers and relegation-bound Sunderland.

Interestingly,  LJ held his hands up after that one and took responsibility, saying: "I have to hold my hands up and say, tactically, I got it wrong in the second half. I should have settled for 3:0. I probably got excited, and felt they were there for the taking.....So, my fault...."

Not something we generally associate with LJ, that.

13 hours ago, INCRED said:

 

Appreciate its early days and we are only a few defeats away from a mediocre start but I think we have recruited well and a hard team to beat now and have goals throughout the team

It was too early to call after 24 games last season, when we beat Reading on Boxing Day, so yes, it's still a bit early!

We have been well beaten by Sheff Utd at home in recent times (I think it's three straight league wins here for them) and they are the sort of team and coach that tend to make mincemeat of LJ and his well-intentioned but slightly soft football, so with this in mind and plenty of time to prepare, it will be very interesting to see how we go about this game. I'd imagine they might target Kelly again, for instance. 

Three wins in a row makes everyone feel better but in early September I am surprised that so many are quite as optimistic as they are on this thread. I haven't a clue what will happen this season, and know that predictions about this game are treacherous (I thought we were dowe in 2016/17).

But don't let me spoil your optimistic outlook! (I hope Sheff Utd don't, either).

 

One more thought on this:

13 hours ago, INCRED said:

Why not, 

Because it's Bristol City. 

[BobBobSuperBob]

25 minutes ago, Moments of Pleasure said:

It was too early to call after 24 games last season, when we beat Reading on Boxing Day, so yes, it's still a bit early!

We have been well beaten by Sheff Utd at home in recent times (I think it's three straight league wins here for them) and they are the sort of team and coach that tend to make mincemeat of LJ and his well-intentioned but slightly soft football, so with this in mind and plenty of time to prepare, it will be very interesting to see how we go about this game. I'd imagine they might target Kelly again, for instance. 

Three wins in a row makes everyone feel better but in early September

I am surprised that so many are quite as optimistic as they are on this thread. I haven't a clue what will happen this season, and know that predictions about this game are treacherous (I thought we were dowe in 2016/17).

Spot on

And good post

[Davefevs]

51 minutes ago, Moments of Pleasure said:

 

Three wins in a row makes everyone feel better but in early September I am surprised that so many are quite as optimistic as they are on this thread. I haven't a clue what will happen this season, and know that predictions about this game are treacherous (I thought we were dowe in 2016/17).

 

“Optimistic” is an interesting one.  From my point of view I had us having a struggling start, but I can see where we’ve improved from last season...albeit not everywhere.

I think I’m pretty happy to be sat here in 6th, and you can see the possibilities, but I'm mindful that every game us tough, and potentially the start of a losing run (hopefully short if and when).  I’ll take this start, and as we’ve seen winning runs / undefeated runs become a habit as do losing runs, and you have to go with the momentum.  I do sense we have options in most positions to change something if we do start struggling.  On the flip side let’s not make too many changes when we are going well.

[Robbored]

1 minute ago, Davefevs said:

“Optimistic” is an interesting one.  From my point of view I had us having a struggling start, but I can see where we’ve improved from last season...albeit not everywhere.

I do sense we have options in most positions to change something if we do start struggling.  On the flip side let’s not make too many changes when we are going well.

I think we’re defensively better for sure. Kalas and Webster look very solid. Kelly is maturing game by game. Hunt looks solid enough. 

Dasilva, Wright and Pisano all capable of stepping up if injuries/suspensions happen.

We all know the midfield lacks cover should Pack or Brownhill become unavailable for what ever reason. 

Up top Famara/Weimann/Taylor are all bring different qualities.

If City can avoid injurie/suspensions then I can’t see why LJ would find in necessary to change the team.

LJ has rebuilt the quad very well imv. 

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, Robbored said:

I think we’re defensively better for sure. Kalas and Webster look very solid. Kelly is maturing game by game. Hunt looks solid enough. 

Dasilva, Wright and Pisano all capable of stepping up if injuries/suspensions happen.

We all know the midfield lacks cover should Pack or Brownhill become unavailable for what ever reason. 

Up top Famara/Weimann/Taylor are all bring different qualities.

If City can avoid injurie/suspensions then I can’t see why LJ would find in necessary to change the team.

LJ has rebuilt the quad very well imv. 

It’s certainly getting there.  It’s skyway gonna be a Forth Bridge to some extent.  In the summer I wasn’t exactly sure what we were recruiting towards in terms of style / formation / identity.  I am now.  Doesn’t always mean you get the players you want, nor the players you do bring in will be a success straightaway or even at all, but the intentions are there.

Feeling positive doesn’t mean I think we are gonna get promoted, more that I see where we are going and how we are trying to get there.  The timescale is the bit we can’t predict.

[Robbored]

13 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

It’s certainly getting there. 

Feeling positive doesn’t mean I think we are gonna get promoted, more that I see where we are going and how we are trying to get there.  The timescale is the bit we can’t predict.

LJ did say not long after he took over that he’d need three windows to recruit the players he wanted so clearly, back then he had a long term plan on how he wanted to play but once the three windows had passed he was still getting criticised and I bet be regretted saying that.....

Its taken several more windows to develop a squad that are predominantly his players. It’s only Pack I think that was Cotterill signing who remains.

So........we are now seeing a squad with players that LJ considers capable of playing his way and so far this season with only one defeat in six we appear to be finally getting there. Btw - that one loss was inflicted by a team who I reckon are very likely to finish in the top two.

Im cautiously optimistic that we’re heading for a better Championship finish than last - a sure sign of progress.