Forest Green Rovers v Bristol City - Friendly Matchday Thread

[Fatalist]

May I point out that FGR made 6 or 7 subs and we only made one,

[chinapig]

1 minute ago, Cov 77 said:

To be fair great we won , but they had made a few subs by time of the comeback , just think Palace needs to be somewhere need starting line up for Leeds game , if only for continuity , for instance Semenyo can’t play so unfortunately no point in starting him , the one very interesting thing appears to be Jannah , would have sent him out on loan but there is something there , wonder what LJ is thinking on this one ?

Semenyo gets the publicity, and rightly so, but Janneh looks like he could be an exceptional talent. I think LJ might keep him around and move on the likes of Taylor and Watkins.

[!james]

 

[WhistleHappy]

1 minute ago, Fatalist said:

May I point out that FGR made 6 or 7 subs and we only made one, 

….so the swines were trying to torpedo us 'eh?  

[BobBobSuperBob]

McGregors initial thoughts / report

 

Maybe it was some jet lag or the slightly cooler climes compared with Bradenton in the US, but the Robins were very sluggish as they played Forest Green Rovers on Tuesday evening.

It took just three minutes for Shawn McCoulsky to show Bristol City what they might miss in future years as the striker netted against the Robins in the opening exchanges.

Both McCoulsky and James Morton - on loan from City - played their part in the first score as the loanee rolled the ball across midfield before Dominic Bernard smashed a low cross through the area, with 'McGoalsky' sliding in to send the New Lawn into raptures.

McGoalsky lived up to the billing possibly eager to prove something to former boss Lee Johnson and his old club. Drifting past Jack Hunt and Tomas Kalas too easily the ex-City U23s forward curled a beauty into the far corner of Dan Bentley's goal on 43 minutes, and indeed the 22-year-old should have had his hat-trick before half-time.

Brownhill went straight down the far end after the second goal and hauled his team back into the contest: a low 25-yarder proving too much for Lewis Thomas to handle and the ball creeping over the goal line just before the half-time whsitle.

If that goal led to the 1,461 travelling fans from Ashton Gate that it might lead to a fight-back from their side they were wrong.

There was no mistake from the spot-kick awarded in the 77th minute of thr game, Weimann converting after Janneh had been felled on the edge of the box in a soft decision.

The Austrian dispatched his fifth of pre-season to bring the Robins back to 3-2 before Sammie Szmodics burst into the box and rolled the ball cutely under former Bristol Rovers goalkeeper Adam Smith for an 86th minute equaliser.

And despite McGoalsky being attributed with the man of the match decision it was City who stole a late win. Adam Webster curled in a great goal from the edge of the box that may have touched Janneh and the West Country bragging rights headed back down the M5.

 

[Nogbad the Bad]

 

12 minutes ago, cidered abroad said:

I do not want to lose any City match!

Quite right too.

If we had lost 3-1 LJ would not have been happy - bloody hope not anyway - so no reason why fans should be content when we were 3-1 down either.

If 1400 City fans make the effort to go to an away friendly we don't expect the team to (apparently) be playing poorly, lose to a 4th division side, and just accept it.

Thankfully all OK in the end, and presumably reasonably exciting and entertaining for the travelling fans.

[cidered abroad]

22 minutes ago, JackofromSanJavier said:

I watched plenty of tip-tap short passes whilst heading into the box but FGR were very disciplined in bringing about 17 players back behind the ball and then crowding ours out!

How many on each side?

[Kid in the Riot]

19 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

Kid looks like he’s trying to seize his chance.

Always mate. Always. 

[BetterRedthanBlue]

We only won by one goal, the manager doesn't know what he's doing, we'll be relegated by October! 

Wait... This isn't the Bristol rovers forum.

[Dolman_Stand]

9 minutes ago, chinapig said:

Semenyo gets the publicity, and rightly so, but Janneh looks like he could be an exceptional talent. I think LJ might keep him around and move on the likes of Taylor and Watkins.

 

13 minutes ago, Cov 77 said:

To be fair great we won , but they had made a few subs by time of the comeback , just think Palace needs to be somewhere need starting line up for Leeds game , if only for continuity , for instance Semenyo can’t play so unfortunately no point in starting him , the one very interesting thing appears to be Jannah , would have sent him out on loan but there is something there , wonder what LJ is thinking on this one ?

Think if Nketiah or any other striker were to arrive Janneh would be going on loan to League 1.

[Kid in the Riot]

4 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

 

Quite right too.

If we had lost 3-1 LJ would not have been happy - bloody hope not anyway - so no reason why fans should be content when we were 3-1 down either.

If 1400 City fans make the effort to go to an away friendly we don't expect the team to (apparently) be playing poorly, lose to a 4th division side, and just accept it.

Thankfully all OK in the end, and presumably reasonably exciting and entertaining for the travelling fans.

Still agonising for you that LJ is doing a good job as City boss I see Noggers. Some things never change, eh?

[AshtonGreat]

42 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

Webby!

Well he lets in a lot of goals but at least he can score

[Wrongagain]

Sorry but even though I was not there this evenings match was shameful for us, we let a young player, full of promise go, why? because he had a temporary heart problem! For a team supposedly  nurturing young talent this is shameful, two first half goals against us says it all!

[slartibartfast]

24 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

 

 

 

I

And despite McGoalsky being attributed with the man of the match decision it was City who stole a late win. Adam Webster curled in a great goal from the edge of the box that may have touched Janneh and the West Country bragging rights headed back down the M5.

 

Er...............WHAT?

[slartibartfast]

31 minutes ago, Fatalist said:

May I point out that FGR made 6 or 7 subs and we only made one,

Well, that's their fault then !

[Kingswoodactor]

5 minutes ago, dave36 said:

Sorry but even though I was not there this evenings match was shameful for us, we let a young player, full of promise go, why? because he had a temporary heart problem! For a team supposedly  nurturing young talent this is shameful, two first half goals against us says it all!

FFS so what?? He scored a couple against us in a meaningless friendly. Decent little player but it’s hardly bloody ‘shameful’ when he’s not exactly scoring 20 + a season in League 2. Trust our club 100% when it comes to making the right decisions on our youngsters. 

[Wade Wilson]

Best pre-season game I’ve been to, that.

 

Webby was right in front of me before the goal and I shouted “Shooooooooot” so, you’re welcome. 

 

 

[downendcity]

7 minutes ago, dave36 said:

Sorry but even though I was not there this evenings match was shameful for us, we let a young player, full of promise go, why? because he had a temporary heart problem! For a team supposedly  nurturing young talent this is shameful, two first half goals against us says it all!

Perhaps he was let go because with have other young players with even more promise and potential - the likes of Janneh and Semenyo - who the club judged would have blocked McCoulsky's  path to the first team?

 

[Nogbad the Bad]

Just now, Kid in the Riot said:

Still agonising for you that LJ is doing a good job as City boss I see Noggers. Some things never change, eh?

There was no intended criticism of LJ in my post.

Posters on here were criticising other fans for voicing their disappointment when City were losing 3-1.

As I said, I don't think LJ would have been happy at that stage, so perfectly OK for fans to feel the same imo.

My point was wholly about posters on this forum, not entirely sure how you managed to read anything negative about LJ into it.

It's a good thing if the manager is unhappy if we're losing to a 4th division side imo., friendly or not. Same with the fans.

Btw., I haven't been a critic of LJ for a long time, but it obviously rankles with you that I was one of many who did criticise him when we felt he merited it.

Times move on - perhaps you should too!

 

[Wrongagain]

Time will tell, he was touted as the future until his illness was discovered

3 minutes ago, Kingswoodactor said:

FFS so what?? He scored a couple against us in a meaningless friendly. Decent little player but it’s hardly bloody ‘shameful’ when he’s not exactly scoring 20 + a season in League 2. Trust our club 100% when it comes to making the right decisions on our youngsters. 

 

[BobBobSuperBob]

27 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Still agonising for you that LJ is doing a good job as City boss I see Noggers. Some things never change, eh?

Can’t see any criticism of LJ in @Nogbad the Bad s.  post.  Kid 

Do you think he’d be over chuffed conceding 3 before the hour mark to a L2 side , with more or less our first choice back five playing ?

 

[mozo]

Perfect friendly really...fans get a win, players end on a high, and gaffer has good reason to drive home the need for hard work and concentration before Leeds.

[Pickle Rick]

23 minutes ago, Wade Wilson said:

Best pre-season game I’ve been to, that.

 

Webby was right in front of me before the goal and I shouted “Shooooooooot” so, you’re welcome. 

 

 

And I shouted ‘Janneh get the final touch’ after Webster struck it and he did. 

So you're MORE THAN welcome.

Warm regards 

[bengalcub]

O'dowda bottled every 50/50 tonight and hardly got of the floor to compete for a header, defo scared he might jeopardise his move if he picks up a knock......

[INB Red]

7 minutes ago, bengalcub said:

O'dowda bottled every 50/50 tonight and hardly got of the floor to compete for a header, defo scared he might jeopardise his move if he picks up a knock......

Was scared to take anyone on until the last 20 or so. Maybe he heard the stick he was getting for repeatedly turning and passing backwards

[Davefevs]

38 minutes ago, downendcity said:

Perhaps he was let go because with have other young players with even more promise and potential - the likes of Janneh and Semenyo - who the club judged would have blocked McCoulsky's  path to the first team?

 

I think that was pretty much the comment wasn’t it.  Couldn’t give them all a pathway, and they felt the two above were more likely to cut it here.

[ChippenhamRed]

47 minutes ago, dave36 said:

Sorry but even though I was not there this evenings match was shameful for us, we let a young player, full of promise go, why? because he had a temporary heart problem! For a team supposedly  nurturing young talent this is shameful, two first half goals against us says it all!

How do you cope when it actually matters?

[Rudolf Hucker]

2 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Is that missing Pack?

I think that we did miss MP in our midfield tonight. Brownhill took up his role but didn’t appear as effective in the role as Marlon generally is  

In the first half players were turning up all over the place. COD started at LB with Rowe in front of hims then they swapped. Then Callum briefly played up front then on the RW. He made a couple of mistakes, losing possession- the first time allowing McCoulsky to run at Bentley which could and probably should have resulted in a goal. In the second half he played LW and seemed more settled. Still wearing #11 so it doesn’t seem he’s lost his number!

Walsh is a bit of an enigma. Genuinely two-footed (which you seldom see though Webster is too), better in the air than his height suggests he will be, gets involved in some nice interplay but then seems to screw up right at the last. I feel that I should like him more than I do. He has talent but I fear we’d have take a fair bit of rough with the smooth he’d give us. 

Bentley - three goals conceded but barely tested. Not to blame for any of the goals imo. Obviously good with the ball at his feet and can throw past the halfway line - a tactic we used a couple of times (unless you’re a Leeds supporter in which case, we didn’t).

Kalas looked a little rusty during the first half tbh although by the end of the game he was back to his normal self. In a league match he’d have taken out McCoulsky before he’d had chance to shoot (although his finish was sublime). 

Szmodics was very industrious throughout and his goal was really impressive, running onto a long headed clearance from Webster, holding off the defender and coolly slotting it under the keeper. 

Eliasson was hardworking though more effective imo when he played on the right. He can cross a ball but unless there’s someone threatening to get on the end of his good work it’ll be wasted. 

One final point - a bugbear of mine - timewasting. In a friendly match where the ref has avoided handing out bookings which he easily could have done, notably to Walsh in the first half, why is it ok for FGR players to kick the ball away, carry the ball away when free kicks have been given against them, and for their keeper to waste at least 5 minutes by deliberately taking the ball to the opposite end of the six yard box to take goalkicks? In the end they were the losers in every respect but it was so frustrating to watch. 

[Davefevs]

Thanks Rudolph.

Re Walsh, I really want to see him again with an open mind.  I don’t ever see him running a game in the Championship, but I need to see him again (a few times) without that “bias” to see if imho he’s got it.

[big dosser]

walsh could be a very good player for us this season,has quick feet and the eye for a great pass,im going to take a gamble on Sammy to score 10+ this season,he is the attacking midfielder we been waiting for.a good win for us as we was only playing at the 50%percent mark.as for cod did not look interested and pulled out of every tackle he may have talent but he is not going to bust a tackle for you.