Jump to content
IGNORED

Poised like a coiled spring for a Top 6 finish?


headhunter

Recommended Posts

https://foreverbristolcity.podbean.com/e/poised-for-a-top-6-finish/ - also on Spotify & Google Podcasts

In this recording of last night's live Forever Bristol City Podcast we review the match action vs. Preston and pose the question, have City got it in them to get just the handful more points from the 2nd half of the season that they got in the 1st which should be enough to secure a Top 6 finish?

I suggested that if Baker, Walsh and Paterson are the only members of the injured squad to feature then, assuming Fam stays, do we really need to make any additions to the squad in this window? The consensus was cover for Rowe was perhaps the main priority.

Yesterday it was the performance as much as the result that lifted increasingly heavy hearts. We talked about what a dirty so-and-so Darnell Fisher is and just how good is Vyner playing in that defensive midfield role.

We all agreed that it was time for the club to make a statement on how they see football in a post Covid world - is there some grand masterplan afoot to explain away the reluctance to talk new contracts with the many that are free agents in the summer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, headhunter said:

https://foreverbristolcity.podbean.com/e/poised-for-a-top-6-finish/ - also on Spotify & Google Podcasts

In this recording of last night's live Forever Bristol City Podcast we review the match action vs. Preston and pose the question, have City got it in them to get just the handful more points from the 2nd half of the season that they got in the 1st which should be enough to secure a Top 6 finish?

I suggested that if Baker, Walsh and Paterson are the only members of the injured squad to feature then, assuming Fam stays, do we really need to make any additions to the squad in this window? The consensus was cover for Rowe was perhaps the main priority.

Yesterday it was the performance as much as the result that lifted increasingly heavy hearts. We talked about what a dirty so-and-so Darnell Fisher is and just how good is Vyner playing in that defensive midfield role.

We all agreed that it was time for the club to make a statement on how they see football in a post Covid world - is there some grand masterplan afoot to explain away the reluctance to talk new contracts with the many that are free agents in the summer.

There hasn't been a grand master plan the last few years, I don't expect there to be one now 

Regarding the contracts, I will actually defend them in this instance though. Fammy aside , I would allow the rest to leave. Paterson, Hunt and Baker have proved time and time again they are not good enough to take us to the next level (top 6), and I am not sure why people are getting so excited about Walsh, who has offered nothing at this level since he signed 

I don't think Holden will be here next season. And I think they will be looking to clear the decks and get rid of this dead wood so a new manager can come in and be able to bring in his own players 

#announceEddieHowe 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Andy082005 said:

There hasn't been a grand master plan the last few years, I don't expect there to be one now 

Regarding the contracts, I will actually defend them in this instance though. Fammy aside , I would allow the rest to leave. Paterson, Hunt and Baker have proved time and time again they are not good enough to take us to the next level (top 6), and I am not sure why people are getting so excited about Walsh, who has offered nothing at this level since he signed 

I don't think Holden will be here next season. And I think they will be looking to clear the decks and get rid of this dead wood so a new manager can come in and be able to bring in his own players 

#announceEddieHowe 

I need to get used to these 23 game seasons, it still feels to me like there are 23 games to go. Oh well, there's always next season I guess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Port Said Red said:

I need to get used to these 23 game seasons, it still feels to me like there are 23 games to go. Oh well, there's always next season I guess.

Out of interest, would you give a contract to any of those mentioned? (Fam aside) . And if so, I'm  interested to know your reasons why you would? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

I need to get used to these 23 game seasons, it still feels to me like there are 23 games to go. Oh well, there's always next season I guess.

Hey port, yes another in the championship again I’m afraid. We are still inconsistent and we have not got what it takes to be a contender in the top six let alone the top two. Ok we have injuries but the squad is good. It’s a more experienced head coach is what we need. We win a couple then the lose three, every one whines and moans and some how we win another. Yet the next week we lose again.

lets hope for next year and some changes in the correct places at BS3. After all we have the best rugby stadium in the south west ?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, City oz said:

Hey port, yes another in the championship again I’m afraid. We are still inconsistent and we have not got what it takes to be a contender in the top six let alone the top two. Ok we have injuries but the squad is good. It’s a more experienced head coach is what we need. We win a couple then the lose three, every one whines and moans and some how we win another. Yet the next week we lose again.

lets hope for next year and some changes in the correct places at BS3. After all we have the best rugby stadium in the south west ?

 

So when Johnson was here, we were "streaky" and now we are inconsistent? What is the middle ground that would satisfy fans?

Looking at the table, there are probably 15 teams that fall into the latter category, many, if the not the majority have "experienced coaches". 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, Andy082005 said:

Out of interest, would you give a contract to any of those mentioned? (Fam aside) . And if so, I'm  interested to know your reasons why you would? 

My point is that the time to discuss these things is when the season is mathematically over, especially the coaching side.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Andy082005 said:

 

I don't think Holden will be here next season. And I think they will be looking to clear the decks and get rid of this dead wood so a new manager can come in and be able to bring in his own players 

#announceEddieHowe 

We've been critical of Holden on the pod but whether you like him or not injuries have not allowed us to field our strongest 11 and due to the low number of drawn games he can point to a 50% win rate in the games he has been in charge!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

So when Johnson was here, we were "streaky" and now we are inconsistent? What is the middle ground that would satisfy fans?

Looking at the table, there are probably 15 teams that fall into the latter category, many, if the not the majority have "experienced coaches". 

 

Well for me a top sixth finish. I would not want us to fluke promotion as we will just come tumbling down again. I sincerely believe the squad is there to get a top six spot. I keep going back to the what if we had this head coach or that head coach back in April. My gut feeling is we engaged the wrong one and hence the animosity. With Johnston ok he got us into this league but we were not streaky. It shows that this level of football in the championship is for those clubs that want to succeed the head coach and the correct head coach is the driver to keep consistent wins up and not streaky ones 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, City oz said:

Well for me a top sixth finish. I would not want us to fluke promotion as we will just come tumbling down again. I sincerely believe the squad is there to get a top six spot. I keep going back to the what if we had this head coach or that head coach back in April. My gut feeling is we engaged the wrong one and hence the animosity. With Johnston ok he got us into this league but we were not streaky. It shows that this level of football in the championship is for those clubs that want to succeed the head coach and the correct head coach is the driver to keep consistent wins up and not streaky ones 

I doubt there is a manager in this league, or many in the one above us that could maintain consistency after losing 11 first team players, we were very consistent in the first 10/12 games, then the injuries started to pile up. 

If changing the coach changes that aituation then fine, but it doesn't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

I doubt there is a manager in this league, or many in the one above us that could maintain consistency after losing 11 first team players, we were very consistent in the first 10/12 games, then the injuries started to pile up. 

If changing the coach changes that aituation then fine, but it doesn't.

I do not suspect it was 11 first team players as  DH at the time was not aware of what is or was his first team players. DH had a golden opportunity in playing more of the younger ones and he failed to implement this in the first few months. We have now some back from loan and some younger ones poised and ready. It’s a shame the board did not appoint an experienced manager when they had the chance. If they did then we would not be posting stuff like this. We would all be happy as the team would be constantly winning and be sitting around a solid 3rd or 4th position in what is one of the toughest leagues in the world to get promotion out of but one of the easiest to get relegated 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Port Said Red said:

So when Johnson was here, we were "streaky" and now we are inconsistent? What is the middle ground that would satisfy fans?

Looking at the table, there are probably 15 teams that fall into the latter category, many, if the not the majority have "experienced coaches". 

 

We are inconstreaky! ?

1 hour ago, Taunton_BCFC said:

Whilst yesterday was much better all round. Wednesday we could come crashing back down to earth 

We may indeed....that shouldn’t define us though.  They are a very good side.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, City oz said:

I do not suspect it was 11 first team players as  DH at the time was not aware of what is or was his first team players. DH had a golden opportunity in playing more of the younger ones and he failed to implement this in the first few months. We have now some back from loan and some younger ones poised and ready. It’s a shame the board did not appoint an experienced manager when they had the chance. If they did then we would not be posting stuff like this. We would all be happy as the team would be constantly winning and be sitting around a solid 3rd or 4th position in what is one of the toughest leagues in the world to get promotion out of but one of the easiest to get relegated 

But there is no such thing as a settled 11 in modern football, ok I'll rephrase and say 11 first team squad members. The point is that especially with the current schedule, a coach needs the ability to make changes game by game, losing 11 players has significantly reduced his ability to do that. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, City oz said:

Hey port, yes another in the championship again I’m afraid. We are still inconsistent and we have not got what it takes to be a contender in the top six let alone the top two. Ok we have injuries but the squad is good. It’s a more experienced head coach is what we need. We win a couple then the lose three, every one whines and moans and some how we win another. Yet the next week we lose again.

lets hope for next year and some changes in the correct places at BS3. After all we have the best rugby stadium in the south west ?

 

Doesn’t every team do this except for the 1/2 that run away with it ala Norwich this season. Swansea in 2nd were inconsistent upto the last 5/6 games

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Port Said Red said:

But there is no such thing as a settled 11 in modern football, ok I'll rephrase and say 11 first team squad members. The point is that especially with the current schedule, a coach needs the ability to make changes game by game, losing 11 players has significantly reduced his ability to do that. 

Except, when he had the chance to make changes game by game, he didn't which, it might be argued, has contributed to the current injury crisis.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the basis that 76 points would probably land 6th position then a W-D-L sequence of 12-4-7 would be enough. In the first half it was 11-3-9 and we've been moaning, with some justification, that we've been rubbish to watch and the past 5 months mired with inconsistency. 

Once you are in the realms of needing 2 points per game to secure the prize [a top 6 finish] it becomes a big ask.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, headhunter said:

On the basis that 76 points would probably land 6th position then a W-D-L sequence of 12-4-7 would be enough. In the first half it was 11-3-9 and we've been moaning, with some justification, that we've been rubbish to watch and the past 5 months mired with inconsistency. 

Once you are in the realms of needing 2 points per game to secure the prize [a top 6 finish] it becomes a big ask.

 

Current last 10 form (4W-6L=12) extrapolated will see us pick up another 28-30 points = 64/66 points. 

So we've got to find an extra 10 points over the last 23 games from our current form. 3 wins and a draw. 

Doesn't sound impossible, but we need to turn the corner soon and hope others fall away. Currently looks like 80 for 6th isn't completely unrealistic.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Every week-end I promisel Mrs Downend that I'm like a coiled spring ready for a top  end finish, but end up with a limp mid table position

 or coming last and relegation! :shocking:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Alessandro said:

Current last 10 form (4W-6L=12) extrapolated will see us pick up another 28-30 points = 64/66 points. 

So we've got to find an extra 10 points over the last 23 games from our current form. 3 wins and a draw. 

Doesn't sound impossible, but we need to turn the corner soon and hope others fall away. Currently looks like 80 for 6th isn't completely unrealistic.

Mawson’s return seems to have made an immediate difference and although it might only have been for the first half hour, KP made an immediate impact. Viner’s move into midfield looks to be inspired , Nagy seems back to his best and HNM’s cameo promises more than we’d have thought earlier in the season.

It might be that one or more of these players might not continue in the same vein, but we have other players still to comeback from injury so it is not unreasonable to think that they to will make a difference over the rest of the season.

This is not clutching at straws, but how often have we heard that success in this division is all about small margins, and these might be the small margin gains we need.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, downendcity said:

Mawson’s return seems to have made an immediate difference and although it might only have been for the first half hour, KP made an immediate impact. Viner’s move into midfield looks to be inspired , Nagy seems back to his best and HNM’s cameo promises more than we’d have thought earlier in the season.

It might be that one or more of these players might not continue in the same vein, but we have other players still to comeback from injury so it is not unreasonable to think that they to will make a difference over the rest of the season.

This is not clutching at straws, but how often have we heard that success in this division is all about small margins, and these might be the small margin gains we need.

Don’t take my model literally, but I track the result whilst a player is on the pitch, in terms of points won or lost, e.g. starters start with a draw, if we win / are winning when they get subbed they get +2, etc.

Mawson is streets ahead.

I would show you the rest of the table but I need to decide Opi Edwards as his ppts per 90 is skewed off the scale because he’s played so few minutes.

85FDEFDD-8936-482B-8025-DC129D5A5E89.thumb.jpeg.f406d657f24b00616601682ef28a4532.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's possible but we need some players back and score more goals. We are currently below the curve.

I'm always amazed by how mush peoples mood swings from hope to doom and gloom. I know that it's the hope of the team going up that kills us when they miss out.

After 40 plus years of following the club most seasons we have just stayed in the same division. Here's hoping for a better second half.

 

image.thumb.png.f1d93070c8e852a157650c87ee951f16.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Would we be further up the table if we didn't have all of our injuries and what do we have to do to compete with clubs with parachute payments? It seems that Norwich and WBA (next season) will take one of the auto spots when they invariably yo-yo between the divisions, Bournmouth or Watford another one which leaves one space to play for...

Is it getting harder for clubs without PP?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...