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Cautiously optimistic ?


The Humble Realist

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Came across this season preview    https://link.medium.com/gYstTNUZeib which suggests we should be feeling 'cautiously optimistic '...

I'm not sure I would describe my own feelings as that but more 'cautiously hopeful things wont be s**t', is that the same thing ?!

I think most fans accept it's going to be a bit of a transition year having had such a high turnover of players. Cant say I agree with everything that's been done but we do seem to be heading in a much better direction that 12 months ago. 

Not long til the season and I'd certainly be happy and am hopeful for a season of mid table obscurity. 

Would that be enough for you ?

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I think the fact we’ll all be back in the ground, if we can improve on last season’s performances and let’s face it, it’s a very low bar, we’ll all be pretty happy*

 

* the moaning won’t get too loud on here until at least half an hour into the first game

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Cautiously optimistic sums up my feelings as well. I think we’ll be ok provided we don’t pick up too many injuries. We are looking more resilient and a number of players are looking fitter and long may that continue. Key players like Weimann, Williams, Martin, Baker, COD, Dasilva all had long term injuries last season and if we keep them fit our squad has more depth even though smaller. I also think keeping James fit is key to our season. Keep them (and Kalas) all fit and I see no reason why we can’t shoot for the play offs. 

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22 minutes ago, The Humble Realist said:

Came across this season preview    https://link.medium.com/gYstTNUZeib which suggests we should be feeling 'cautiously optimistic '...

I'm not sure I would describe my own feelings as that but more 'cautiously hopeful things wont be s**t', is that the same thing ?!

I think most fans accept it's going to be a bit of a transition year having had such a high turnover of players. Cant say I agree with everything that's been done but we do seem to be heading in a much better direction that 12 months ago. 

Not long til the season and I'd certainly be happy and am hopeful for a season of mid table obscurity. 

Would that be enough for you ?

I'd bite your hand off for mid-table. But for context, I am a fully signed up glass half empty merchant. 

Do you think we'll score enough goals?

And one for the geeks, what's going to happen to our xG this season? (It can't be worse than last season, surely?)

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I don't think we've got enough quality in the final third to trouble the top 6 this season but we're going to be organised and hopefully have a team spirit that can see us finish mid table or slightly better.

After the dross we have seen over the last couple of seasons i would be happy to see a team that has some identity and can compete.

If we can add some flair over the next couple of transfer windows and have some luck with injuries etc then (fingers crossed) we can challenge next season.

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I’ve been cautiously optimistic at the start of each season for as long as I can remember. 

However….that feeling started to creep in as soon as Nige was appointed on a three year contract particularly having heard his interviews when he was temporary in charge . He came over like no other City manager had and his observations of the shambles had become under LJ and Aston were spot on - no names tho. A proper manager at long last after 20+ years.

Since then he’s brought in quality midfielders and a decent full back all of whom he knows well and what they’ll bring. All good indications that we could well be in for a decent season.

All we need now is decent goalscorer…………..:cool2:

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58 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

I'd bite your hand off for mid-table. But for context, I am a fully signed up glass half empty merchant. 

Do you think we'll score enough goals?

And one for the geeks, what's going to happen to our xG this season? (It can't be worse than last season, surely?)

Enough goals? Imo we will let in so much less than last season we won't need a hatfull to win games.

Can't wait for Blackpool it's one game i know but so looking forward to it.

With the fans back no way will our pitiful home form be allowed to continue .

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2 hours ago, Numero Uno said:

Yes, quite honestly. If we can bring a couple of younger players through at the same time then that would be job done for Big Nige imo.

I think a lot of people underestimate Steve Lansdown and his missives - if you think “bringing a couple of younger players through is “job done” then, oh no ... no, no, no 

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2 hours ago, redsapper said:

Remember it’s the hope that kills you!

Amen!! We still get excited trying to predict the start of the season, but if the euros and last season taught us anything, is that where england and bristol city are concerned, if theres a way to balls it up, we will find it

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I’m the opposite ? I’m seriously worried we’ll continue the form that we had the 2nd half of last season. It was truly awful. I’m hoping NP has worked his magic and the new additions turn things around. I hope we don’t put too much weight onto the younger players that seem to be making a breakthrough, we have some great talent coming through the ranks! 
 

I feel like a mid table finish would be good, imo that would show very good progression 

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1 hour ago, Sturny said:

I’m the opposite ? I’m seriously worried we’ll continue the form that we had the 2nd half of last season. It was truly awful. I’m hoping NP has worked his magic and the new additions turn things around. I hope we don’t put too much weight onto the younger players that seem to be making a breakthrough, we have some great talent coming through the ranks! 
 

I feel like a mid table finish would be good, imo that would show very good progression 

We have generally finished mid table so I'm not sure how that would be progression, but I get where your coming from, our form for the last third of the season was terrible the way we were winning a game at home would be progression. 

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6 hours ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

I think a lot of people underestimate Steve Lansdown and his missives - if you think “bringing a couple of younger players through is “job done” then, oh no ... no, no, no 

I don’t underestimate Steve Lansdown at all. I know he is crazy enough to think you could follow a season like last season with a promotion season. Some of our fans are that daft too.

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7 hours ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

I think a lot of people underestimate Steve Lansdown and his missives - if you think “bringing a couple of younger players through is “job done” then, oh no ... no, no, no 

please enlighten us bs4, what are these missives because on a football side he has got so much wrong over the last 10 years

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There is a huge amount of pessimism here about how we will do this season.  I am certainly not saying we are going to rip the championship up but I certainly think we will be mid table looking up.  
The side that starts against Blackpool will have scant resemblance to the side  that finished last May, in terms of both personnel and attitude and fitness…the NP effect and return of crowds….bring it on.

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1 minute ago, nick jones of hereford said:

People comment on how perhaps we are a striker short of success, but I’m pleased that Wells has been playing in that role, rather than as a wide man. Play to his strengths and use our talented youngster (Conway Bell etc) and I’m getting excited ? 

Very true. Unless we move an established striker on, I cannot see how we will add to the forward mix now…

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I can’t see how we will break sides down at home or be resilient enough away. 
Can’t escape the feeling that the best we can hope for is a battling team that can cobble together 52 points.

The youngsters will largely be irrelevant in the coming season. They will be bit-part players - look at the teams for yesterday’s matches. (But Alex Scott is very promising.)

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Excited in the youngsters we have coming through but this league is so tough and given what we currently have we won't score enough goals which puts huge pressure on our defence to keep clean sheets.

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55 minutes ago, nick jones of hereford said:

People comment on how perhaps we are a striker short of success, but I’m pleased that Wells has been playing in that role, rather than as a wide man. Play to his strengths and use our talented youngster (Conway Bell etc) and I’m getting excited ? 

Any of those guys could be a surprise package this season. Currently, Wells and Martin are the senior strikers and will probably start against Blackpool on the 7th but the season is a marathon of 46 games plus the two cup competitions and anything can happen and our youngsters will undoubtedly get an opportunity.

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Nigel Pearson really couldn't achieve anything last season with the squad he had and the signings he has made do not represent a significant improvement from what I can see.  The most significant thing that has happened is that our main target man has left and has not been replaced.

I therefore see little reason for any optimism at all and think we will be lucky to survive a relegation battle this time around.

Heaven forbid how we will fare if we lose one of our prized assets like Kalas or Bentley.

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I know that all the pre-season matches are simply training sessions against teams that are below our league, so we should not read too much into them. However, while we couldn't win a lollipop at a fairground for the final three months of last season, there appears to be hope.

We have not been beaten, all defensive combinations have appeared more secure, midfield more defensively aware and actually making passes to our own players and toward opposition goal.

The style/formation appears similar to Leicester City in their Premier win year. Solid midfield and defence with hitting sides at speed on the break as soon as the ball is in our possession.

This relies on converting a small number of goals from fewer chances than a side with high possession percentage. That may be our biggest weakness but if we can maintain defensive solidity, we stand a chance of gathering enough points to look upwards. A lot of low scoring matches to look forward to?

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