Have you been entertained?

[KeepUpLino]

7 hours ago, Riaz said:

Dont know what people expect. We are watching a high level of football. Every team in this division have quality players.

So what if your not on the edge of your seat every week. Competitive sport isnt always entertaining!

I'm just happy that we are punching above our weight!

Punching above our weight.. I hate that saying

[Mr Popodopolous]

41 minutes ago, Offside said:

Have I been entertained? Depends which way I look at it. I’m enjoying being at the right end of the Championship playing for the play-offs and our winning run was entertaining - we didn’t always play brilliantly during that run but there was that sense that we could move up a gear to get the result (e.g. QPR at home). Also some of our players have been a joy to watch (Webster, Kalas, Palmer in his first couple of games). 

On the other hand, some of our performances have been dire, especially the last three home games. That Ipswich game in particular was like watching paint dry. The ponderous build ups and endless sideways passes are dull and we do seem to be very predictable.

One of the problems is that football matches as a whole are becoming less entertaining as teams get better at grinding out results. Leeds are a prime example - they are a side capable of good football but who spent most of the second half at Ashton Gate strangling the life out of the game. 

Overall I’m pretty satisfied so I suppose that counts as entertained, albeit frustrated with our playing style at times. This season has been decent enough compared to some of the horror shows I’ve witnessed from City since my first season on the early 1980s. There is a sense that we are a club on the up, which hopefully will continue. 

Vs Ipswich we didn't even do very slow buildup very well. That can cause momentum to dissipate from the game but Ipswich could have won if anything.

As for football perse. Definite evidence of how it's changing tactically- unfortunately for us Leeds were right on point in that sense.

Outotballed us first half, before and yeah aftet their goal. 2nd half? Shut the game down yet still posed a threat on the break so not pure defence by any means.

Wolves game similar though we did dominate quite a bit more in 2nd. Leeds game 2nd half, not too much.

[swampy]

When we beat Oldham 2-0 in 64-65 was quite a good game.  And I loved the headline in the Green'un  ..... "Up the City to the 2nd Division"   ... Atyeo and Clark I believe scored the goals.  I was ten years old I think!! 

[Bar BS3]

15 minutes ago, swampy said:

When we beat Oldham 2-0 in 64-65 was quite a good game.  And I loved the headline in the Green'un  ..... "Up the City to the 2nd Division"   ... Atyeo and Clark I believe scored the goals.  I was ten years old I think!! 

You make it very clear that you don’t go to games. So it’s quite hard for the club to entertain you. 

[Andy082005]

On 19/03/2019 at 16:26, Mr Popodopolous said:

11 woodwork strikes and 2 disallowed goals under questionable circs at home this season...no element of luck/not finishing good chances created?

Not necessarily defending LJ as I still wonder about some of his tactics and selections, but would be interesting to know what you suggest he does to create an increased entertainment factor. Team, tactics, blueprint?

I'm intrigued by that bolded bit however. 25 years an ST Holder yeah?? 20 years for me but if for the purposes of this we exclude LJ's ups and downs.

• Ward and Benny season.
• Pulis
• Early part of GJ- we lost 9 in a row and were in the relegation zone as late as mid February 2006.
• The very end of GJ reign was poor but still his era was the best times taken as a whole in my 20 years or so.
• Coppell and Millen season
• Millen and McInnes season
• McInnes and S'OD season
• S'OD in League One...and Cotterill's early period even though he restored pride and got us fighting again, we were still in the drop zone at the start of March 2014. Which is fine, sometimes you have to go backwards to progress but Christ...
• The end of Cotterill's time- which is a shame as he did wonders for the most part.

Before my time, but can only assume 1993-May 1998 was the land of milk and honey for you?  Wasn't Osman mid 90's, plenty of people on here talk about his reign in a less than positive fashion.

When I talk about not enjoying it....to be fair I don't just mean the football. I mean the whole matchday experience at Ashton Gate. Even in the darker times I still used to look forward to going. 

 I just don't anymore. To be fair, even I find it strange as the club is in its healthiest state ....probably ever 

[Mr Popodopolous]

21 minutes ago, Andy082005 said:

When I talk about not enjoying it....to be fair I don't just mean the football. I mean the whole matchday experience at Ashton Gate. Even in the darker times I still used to look forward to going. 

 I just don't anymore. To be fair, even I find it strange as the club is in its healthiest state ....probably ever 

Fair enough- read this quite often on here.

I would say which I am sure you know, it's not just a City specific thing, the watering down of atmosphere etc is fairly UK wide. Not to say the club have no culpability because there are choices they can make, but the sanitisation and pricing out across the board, it has been going on for about a generation now- 20-30 years, has seen quite significant changes. With some positives too but a lot of the changes quite poor.

In the parameters of what's feasible? A bigger s82 would help with the atmosphere. Safe standing if the Government and bodies allow it- imagine a whole or 2/3 at least of South Stand allowed to stand instead of the small corner- we can dream. Add in the top few rows minimum of the Dolman too- ability to drink in view of the pitch- alcohol can help fuel atmosphere, less inhibited etc. It's a shame about the whole safe standing delays- something I remember calls for a long time ago, early 2000's but certainly last 5-10 years, not least as (pre) re-development we were one of the first clubs to publicly endorse it- even had a small section in the Atyeo as to showcase how it'd look/be!

Hope you once more find your passion for it soon, because as you say the club on and off the pitch, as a whole- in a really healthy state, perhaps ever.

[Major Isewater]

On 20/03/2019 at 10:10, mozo said:

I must be some sort of freak because I like City to play nice football regardless of results!

What happened to the Bristol City tradition of playing football the right way that used to be talked about?

If every team only cared about results we would be trapped in some sort of Klinsmann/Warnock dystopia!

As has been mentioned, for most of our past we have been big fish in the small pond of the third or fourth divisions .

We had the means to buy the best players in those divisions and mostly played on the ‘ front foot ‘ though not always winning !

We are now up against better technical players, coaches and with all the sports science available the matches are generally much closer to call.

We have become much better at managing games , ie not going naively on all out attack and leaving ourselves too open to the counter.

This perhaps makes today’s games less ‘ thrilling ‘ in terms of goalmouth action or the outdated ‘ reducer ‘ tackles but that is how  modern football is for better or worse.

You adapt or you sink back into the mire.

[mozo]

4 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

As has been mentioned, for most of our past we have been big fish in the small pond of the third or fourth divisions .

We had the means to buy the best players in those divisions and mostly played on the ‘ front foot ‘ though not always winning !

We are now up against better technical players, coaches and with all the sports science available the matches are generally much closer to call.

We have become much better at managing games , ie not going naively on all out attack and leaving ourselves too open to the counter.

This perhaps makes today’s games less ‘ thrilling ‘ in terms of goalmouth action or the outdated ‘ reducer ‘ tackles but that is how  modern football is for better or worse.

You adapt or you sink back into the mire.

Totes agree with your points.

I would still draw the obvious distinction between Bielsa's swashbuckling Leeds, and Warnock's spit in your eye, percentage football.

I just wouldn't pay the money to watch the Pulis/Alladyce/Colin brand of attritional, cynical 1-0 winning machines.

And I get no joy from watching City players feigning injury to win a game. 

How can winning be everything if you have to sit there bored for an hour ane a half.

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 hour ago, Major Isewater said:

As has been mentioned, for most of our past we have been big fish in the small pond of the third or fourth divisions .

We had the means to buy the best players in those divisions and mostly played on the ‘ front foot ‘ though not always winning !

We are now up against better technical players, coaches and with all the sports science available the matches are generally much closer to call.

We have become much better at managing games , ie not going naively on all out attack and leaving ourselves too open to the counter.

This perhaps makes today’s games less ‘ thrilling ‘ in terms of goalmouth action or the outdated ‘ reducer ‘ tackles but that is how  modern football is for better or worse.

You adapt or you sink back into the mire.

Excellent post, quite agree with much of this.

1 hour ago, mozo said:

Totes agree with your points.

I would still draw the obvious distinction between Bielsa's swashbuckling Leeds, and Warnock's spit in your eye, percentage football.

I just wouldn't pay the money to watch the Pulis/Alladyce/Colin brand of attritional, cynical 1-0 winning machines.

And I get no joy from watching City players feigning injury to win a game. 

How can winning be everything if you have to sit there bored for an hour ane a half.

 

Agree- it can still be done in a fun manner at this level. I do think perceptions and reality of how quickly the game has changed- there's can at times be a mismatch. Which is fine.

How often do people not just on here, but let's use here as an example bemoan one up front at home? Leeds and Norwich both use this and create chances, score goals- Wolves who play a good mix of counter attacking and possession, with a great defensive structure use one up front- at most. Neither Jota nor Jimenez are an orthodox striker and when Wolves play their 3-4-3 with Jimenez up front, none are orthodox strikers and with the possible exception of Traore, orthodox wingers either! 3-5-1-1 with Jota and Jimenez, could be construed as 3-4-3-0 with their original plan- i.e. arguably strikerless. Now they're a special case due to the Portuguese influence but still.

Whereas Birmingham and even more so Millwall of last season at this level- plus in the top flight Burnley, all play 4-4-2...but it's very much a reactive one.

None of these sides use flying wingers in the case of the first 3. In the case of the last 3, perhaps to an extent- but not teams that demand the ball. That look to field 2 strikers with flying wingers and try to dominate- they would get picked apart, played through, hit on the break- or perhaps even a mix of the 3 in the same game by better sides, by savvier sides. Or even average sides with a solid defence and quick strikers.