Resting Massengo

[old_eastender]

Terrible decision, I know he has looked a bit jaded in last 2 games but without him we had no bite in centre midfield at all until he came on. Part of the reason why Palmer was so ineffective is because nobody was breaking up the play and winning the ball behind him. COD at CM was an experiment that did not come off, he made a couple of good runs but would have done that playing wide. 

[Northern Red]

No doubt if Massengo had started and put a similar performance to the other night (I didn't see Luton but by all accounts that was also poor), it would have been a terrible decision not to rest him.

[And Its Smith]

Can’t keep flogging someone so young. There is a bigger picture to look at. Well done Lee for looking at it 

[JBFC II]

The last 2 games Massengo has been really poor, definitely the right idea to drop him. 

[Numero Uno]

4 minutes ago, old_eastender said:

Terrible decision, I know he has looked a bit jaded in last 2 games but without him we had no bite in centre midfield at all until he came on. Part of the reason why Palmer was so ineffective is because nobody was breaking up the play and winning the ball behind him. COD at CM was an experiment that did not come off, he made a couple of good runs but would have done that playing wide. 

It was the right decision for the kid himself. LJ isnt paid to pander to you.

[bexhill reds]

Sensible decision, he's look lost in the past few games, missing that bit of pep and spark. The Championship is a physical game in midfield, and at Luton especially he looked a bit overrun. Losing Nagy for the length of time has done us no favours.

[winsaw]

I don't think anyone would argue he needs a rest, he's never played so many games in a row before, but think the biggest problem is we have no one who can come in and do the same job he dose, for me holding midfield is the 2nd most important position we need to get in January 

[J-mat]

3 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

It was the right decision for the kid himself. LJ isnt paid to pander to you.

Exactly this. Picking our best team every week hasn't been a thing since they brought in 3 subs. Modern football means our season could last over 50 games (playoffs and cup games included). 

Han Noah is a boy. He can't be expected to play every week, it would be an absolute dereliction of our duty of care to him as a player to kill him physically. 

I wonder if the original poster has ever played central midfield. It's the most physically demanding position. Now don't get me wrong, I'd rather it was him and Nagy rotating, but with Nagy's injury it can't be helped. 

 

30 odd more games to go. Bigger picture.

[J-mat]

7 minutes ago, winsaw said:

I don't think anyone would argue he needs a rest, he's never played so many games in a row before, but think the biggest problem is we have no one who can come in and do the same job he dose, for me holding midfield is the 2nd most important position we need to get in January 

We have Nagy to come back. 

[Numero Uno]

3 minutes ago, J-mat said:

We have Nagy to come back. 

And Smith.

[Major Isewater]

15 minutes ago, RedDave said:

Can’t keep flogging someone so young. There is a bigger picture to look at. Well done Lee for looking at it 

Exactly, he’s not even fully grown . We need to be careful with him .

[Bar BS3]

When you start a stupid thread and get put straight by everyone who replies to it.....! 

[ChippenhamRed]

48 minutes ago, old_eastender said:

Terrible decision, I know he has looked a bit jaded in last 2 games but without him we had no bite in centre midfield at all until he came on. Part of the reason why Palmer was so ineffective is because nobody was breaking up the play and winning the ball behind him. COD at CM was an experiment that did not come off, he made a couple of good runs but would have done that playing wide. 

Thank goodness LJ takes a longer term view than you appear capable of.

[Guest]

He wasn't very good when he came on but to be fair we had very little to pass to ahead of him. 

[Alex_BCFC]

Definitely the right decision to rest him. LJ got a lot wrong today but that wasn’t one of them.

[shelts]

Personally I think he needed a rest . Tough first season in the championship for one so young . Plenty of time for him to get even better 

[maxjak]

It was correct to rest him............but i thought he did well when he came on, adding some tenacity to a weak midfield, the Wigan players had an easy ride in the middle of the park today, prior to his introduction.  Need Nagy and Kalas back ASAP.

[AppyDAZE]

Resting Massengo sounds like a film title   Do you know, i thought he was bloody brilliant in resting Massengo. And the oscar goes to... Lee Johnson for Resting Massengo!

Applause

[mozo]

1 hour ago, JBFC II said:

The last 2 games Massengo has been really poor, definitely the right idea to drop him. 

Totally disagree. I've watched both games back this week and he did more good stuff than bad in those games, just not up to his usual (very high) level.

'Really poor' is just not true.

[JBFC II]

1 minute ago, mozo said:

Totally disagree. I've watched both games back this week and he did more good stuff than bad in those games, just not up to his usual (very high) level.

'Really poor' is just not true.

He lost the ball regularly in both games, was totally overrun at Luton and then not up to scratch v Charlton. 
 

There’s a decent player there, and he’s shown as much this season. I just think he’s been rushed in to too much too soon and as a result his performances have suffered

[Redtucks]

1 hour ago, Major Isewater said:

Exactly, he’s not even fully grown . We need to be careful with him .

What do you mean?

Lee's not fully grown???

 

[ChippenhamRed]

17 minutes ago, AppyDAZE said:

Resting Massengo sounds like a film title   Do you know, i thought he was bloody brilliant in resting Massengo. And the oscar goes to... Lee Johnson for Resting Massengo!

Applause

I think it’s a spin-off of Killing Eve.

[Prinny]

3 hours ago, RedDave said:

Can’t keep flogging someone so young. There is a bigger picture to look at. Well done Lee for looking at it 

 

3 hours ago, Major Isewater said:

Exactly, he’s not even fully grown . We need to be careful with him .

So I agreed with the decision initially. But I've changed my mind, not because of the performance but because of this bigger picture.

Why do we care about his long term future? Do people really think he'll be here long term? Unless we're risking an injury that affects his sale value why shouldn't we run him into the ground if he's the best option? Should we care that he's tired for the start of next season at Chelsea?

The best thing for the player is to rest him. Was it best for Bristol City 2019/2020? I'm not so sure. Unless the measurable data says he's lacking energy we should play our best team every chance we get.

[Up The City!]

Easy to say this in hindsight ain't it? Everyone was saying he needs to be rested and now he was rested its suddenly it's the wrong decision??

[Littlesh*t]

11 minutes ago, Prinny said:

 

So I agreed with the decision initially. But I've changed my mind, not because of the performance but because of this bigger picture.

Why do we care about his long term future? Do people really think he'll be here long term? Unless we're risking an injury that affects his sale value why shouldn't we run him into the ground if he's the best option? Should we care that he's tired for the start of next season at Chelsea?

The best thing for the player is to rest him. Was it best for Bristol City 2019/2020? I'm not so sure. Unless the measurable data says he's lacking energy we should play our best team every chance we get.

That's a really short sited view, if players start to think we dont give 2 shits about there health and careers do you really think they will want to put 100% in for the team or want to sign additional contracts or sign for us in the 1st place. 

 

[And Its Smith]

12 minutes ago, Prinny said:

 

So I agreed with the decision initially. But I've changed my mind, not because of the performance but because of this bigger picture.

Why do we care about his long term future? Do people really think he'll be here long term? Unless we're risking an injury that affects his sale value why shouldn't we run him into the ground if he's the best option? Should we care that he's tired for the start of next season at Chelsea?

The best thing for the player is to rest him. Was it best for Bristol City 2019/2020? I'm not so sure. Unless the measurable data says he's lacking energy we should play our best team every chance we get.

One of the most ridiculous posts I’ve seen. It’s not about next season. It’s about not flogging him THIS season!  Have you not noticed how the likes of Brownhill and Pack have been tired after January? Do you want that to happen again to our players?

The fact that you don’t care about the long term well being of our players is crazy. 

[mozo]

2 hours ago, JBFC II said:

He lost the ball regularly in both games, was totally overrun at Luton and then not up to scratch v Charlton. 
 

There’s a decent player there, and he’s shown as much this season. I just think he’s been rushed in to too much too soon and as a result his performances have suffered

If by regularly you mean 3/4 times per game and less than Weimann and Palmer then yeah I'd agree.

[Up The City!]

14 minutes ago, Prinny said:

 

So I agreed with the decision initially. But I've changed my mind, not because of the performance but because of this bigger picture.

Why do we care about his long term future? Do people really think he'll be here long term? Unless we're risking an injury that affects his sale value why shouldn't we run him into the ground if he's the best option? Should we care that he's tired for the start of next season at Chelsea?

The best thing for the player is to rest him. Was it best for Bristol City 2019/2020? I'm not so sure. Unless the measurable data says he's lacking energy we should play our best team every chance we get.

You're looking at this in completely the wrong way. 

No player should feel tired after the off season (international duty permitting) so resting him so running him into the ground is not a concern for future seasons. 

If you run a young player into the ground then firstly they are not going to be Sharp at the business and of the season and secondly it could impact their development.

[tin]

4 hours ago, old_eastender said:

Terrible decision, I know he has looked a bit jaded in last 2 games but without him we had no bite in centre midfield at all until he came on. Part of the reason why Palmer was so ineffective is because nobody was breaking up the play and winning the ball behind him. COD at CM was an experiment that did not come off, he made a couple of good runs but would have done that playing wide. 

I think the terrible decision was to loan out both Walsh and Morrell, leaving us a woefully short in central midfield. We should’ve kept one of those two until January and loaned out Bakinson, who seems nowhere near ready. 

Massengo needed to be rested. Problem was there’s nobody to replace him. 

[Guest]

I think only our staff will Know how tired Massengo is. It's probably more mental than physical. He was not great when he came on today but we had nothing up top.