Bristol Oil Services Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 Apparently, Pep lowered himself last night to win, not just ugly, but very ugly. Just like we've been doing. Nothing as ugly as dropping points and slipping down the table. Where Man City need to go ugly once, or twice, a season, this season, maybe we have to do the same for 40 games? At this level. Maybe we need to take this season's ugly wins on the chin and reflect upon the truth that we only really play all the nice pretty stuff in League One, where we can buy the pretty boys who pass the ball and mince about but often fail, all the same. And who wants to go back there? Last season's team was probably the most pretty to watch at this level or higher that anyone has seen (Dicks's teams were short on goals and to neutral observers, plain at best). And that team finished 11th. To do any better than 11th at this level, with our resources, surely we need to go, and embrace, ugly, pragmatic, points-accumulating football. Like Johnson has been doing this season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milo1111 Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 23 minutes ago, Moments of Pleasure said: Apparently, Pep lowered himself last night to win, not just ugly, but very ugly. Just like we've been doing. Nothing as ugly as dropping points and slipping down the table. Where Man City need to go ugly once, or twice, a season, this season, maybe we have to do the same for 40 games? At this level. Maybe we need to take this season's ugly wins on the chin and reflect upon the truth that we only really play all the nice pretty stuff in League One, where we can buy the pretty boys who pass the ball and mince about but often fail, all the same. And who wants to go back there? Last season's team was probably the most pretty to watch at this level or higher that anyone has seen (Dicks's teams were short on goals and to neutral observers, plain at best). And that team finished 11th. To do any better than 11th at this level, with our resources, surely we need to go, and embrace, ugly, pragmatic, points-accumulating football. Like Johnson has been doing this season? Great post. Totally agree that it would be really hard, with our wage structure, to play glorious football week in week out and challenge at the top. It can be done but you would have to unearth quite a few gems on the cheap. Results need to be good if you are playing conservative football though. boring losing football is a quick fire way to the p45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmersonsRed Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 OP. Excellent post. 3 best pretty footballing teams for me are Leeds, Forest and Brentford. Only 1 in the top 6 and they have some exceptional talent for this level and a great manager. The other two at 7th and 18th. It's hard to play good football and win in this league, Boro fans are worse than ours though. They're 5th and Pulis out banners at the game! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Isewater Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 1 hour ago, Moments of Pleasure said: Apparently, Pep lowered himself last night to win, not just ugly, but very ugly. Just like we've been doing. Nothing as ugly as dropping points and slipping down the table. Where Man City need to go ugly once, or twice, a season, this season, maybe we have to do the same for 40 games? At this level. Maybe we need to take this season's ugly wins on the chin and reflect upon the truth that we only really play all the nice pretty stuff in League One, where we can buy the pretty boys who pass the ball and mince about but often fail, all the same. And who wants to go back there? Last season's team was probably the most pretty to watch at this level or higher that anyone has seen (Dicks's teams were short on goals and to neutral observers, plain at best). And that team finished 11th. To do any better than 11th at this level, with our resources, surely we need to go, and embrace, ugly, pragmatic, points-accumulating football. Like Johnson has been doing this season? You agree with me. I have been saying for some time the same thing. It is good to see LJ abandoning the ‘ Championship Manager ‘ , kamikaze tactics and substitutions for a more pragmatic approach. I’m sure Pep has been keeping close contact with LJ to help him get the Citizens out of their slump. Joking apart there is no reason why pragmatic football can’t be entertaining. It’s just a question of game management. Knowing when to go for the kill and when to smother the opponents with blanket defending. I enjoyed the Stoke game , we démoralised them , wore them down and were clinical in attack . All the hallmarks, dare I say it , of a Colin promotion winning team . I know up until December last year we were a joy to watch and, yes , if would could have kept it up all season then that would have been amazing but it is not possible for us. I will be happy just to keep improving and solidly climbing the table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Isewater Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 48 minutes ago, EmersonsRed said: OP. Excellent post. 3 best pretty footballing teams for me are Leeds, Forest and Brentford. Only 1 in the top 6 and they have some exceptional talent for this level and a great manager. The other two at 7th and 18th. It's hard to play good football and win in this league, Boro fans are worse than ours though. They're 5th and Pulis out banners at the game! In fairness those banners have been there since his appointment and rightly so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsince1994 Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 29 minutes ago, Major Isewater said: You agree with me. I have been saying for some time the same thing. It is good to see LJ abandoning the ‘ Championship Manager ‘ , kamikaze tactics and substitutions for a more pragmatic approach. I’m sure Pep has been keeping close contact with LJ to help him get the Citizens out of their slump. Joking apart there is no reason why pragmatic football can’t be entertaining. It’s just a question of game management. Knowing when to go for the kill and when to smother the opponents with blanket defending. I enjoyed the Stoke game , we démoralised them , wore them down and were clinical in attack . All the hallmarks, dare I say it , of a Colin promotion winning team . I know up until December last year we were a joy to watch and, yes , if would could have kept it up all season then that would have been amazing but it is not possible for us. I will be happy just to keep improving and solidly climbing the table. Anyway we can still play good football in a pragmatic system! Hunt's turn and cross was a joy to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Popodopolous Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 1 hour ago, Major Isewater said: You agree with me. I have been saying for some time the same thing. It is good to see LJ abandoning the ‘ Championship Manager ‘ , kamikaze tactics and substitutions for a more pragmatic approach. I’m sure Pep has been keeping close contact with LJ to help him get the Citizens out of their slump. Joking apart there is no reason why pragmatic football can’t be entertaining. It’s just a question of game management. Knowing when to go for the kill and when to smother the opponents with blanket defending. I enjoyed the Stoke game , we démoralised them , wore them down and were clinical in attack . All the hallmarks, dare I say it , of a Colin promotion winning team . I know up until December last year we were a joy to watch and, yes , if would could have kept it up all season then that would have been amazing but it is not possible for us. I will be happy just to keep improving and solidly climbing the table. Interesting thing is, it's like a mirror image of some of our games earlier in the season only in reverse. Stoke home 2nd half- we were very decent, thinking back in October and should have won. Yet got less than we deserved. Reading away, bossed the ball, conceded only 3 shots on target and hit the woodwork? Couldn't even get a draw as we conceded a goal to each of their shots on target...Millwall home I know people point to one shot on target and that game wasn't great but 70%+ possession, hit woodwork, their goal being an own goal separate to shot on target- could only draw...WBA away similar possession but a lot in 2nd half, hit woodwork, could have been 3 up early on and yet lost 4-2. Even Wigan away, we had more ball, conceded only 1 shot on target...and lost 1-0- not saying we merited a win there, more like neither side deserved to win that one. Last one that springs to mind is Sheffield Wednesday at home. No we were not inspiring but more ball plus Kelly hitting woodwork after 15 mins- that goes in game changes. It's perhaps evening up a bit now arguably, in some respects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chivs Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 50 minutes ago, redsince1994 said: Anyway we can still play good football in a pragmatic system! Hunt's turn and cross was a joy to watch. Famara's header was quite a joy as well.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicki's soulmate Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 Winning ugly, or as I call it, winning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandro Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 Spot on OP. I think that the reality is, during the whole of LJ’s nearly 3 years here, only 3 months have been consistently ‘pretty’ football. The rest has been less entertaining, with varying results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyTonyTony Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 I’m not convinced us playing ugly is by design. I just don’t think we have clicked this season, but I’ve seen glimpses such as the second half against stoke and the Norwich game. On several occasions this season we have got a bit lucky and won the points. I’m not complaining mind - a win is a win but I just wanna see one game where we all click and blow another team off the park. Leeds at home would be nice.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Isewater Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 What is ‘ playing ugly ‘ ? Surely; , not taking unnecessary risks , stopping the opponents from imposing their game with tackles, defending en masse, putting their bodies on the line. Conserving energy to be used at the right time and the right part of the pitch. Taking just a little longer on goal kicks , something that I don’t recall Frankie doing too often, breaking up the rhythm when the opponents are on a good patch of play. This , done correctly, gives a team a platform to show their skills and results follow. We need to be difficult to beat before we can consider playing like Barcelona, Man City and company. When we have a squad of 30 odd internationals on our books that will be the time to be a little more expansive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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