Carabao Cup Matchday No. 1 - Forest Green Rovers v. Bristol City

[Lorenzos Only Goal]

24 minutes ago, harrys said:

Many similarities with the two of them

Oh dear god you're giving each other reach around.  

[Mr Popodopolous]

5 minutes ago, BTRFTG said:

Are we? IMHO were bang on track given that 'talent' (sic,) at our disposal.

On some levels, plus the late goals issue is a concern.

Lower midtable I expect though it comes to something when Kalas who performed really quite well in the Euros vs a decent range of opposition, is part of a leaky defensive unit at Forest Green in the Cup.

[Simon bristol]

1 minute ago, KegCity said:

I agree. Predictions had us finishing around 17th this season, we're playing like we'll finish there. Why is this suddenly a surprise?

We still have that hope that our team who we have followed for years/ decades might go out and do us proud.

that squad, theres a lot of championship level players, the likes of blackpool would love to pick some of our lot,,, but its all too easy,, no real passion or pride,, everything done for them, no incentive to do anything other than the bare minimum, and huge salaries as a reward.

[Slack]

To put it backwards think how man United fans felt when we beat them whilst they had pretty much a full strength team. 

Football is an unpredictable game, not saying it will happen but we could now win every game and be champions. 

This is football, we will be okay. Stop panicking this isn't the time. It's two games, last season is in the past. We survived, it wasn't pretty. We now have Boro up next, a bit of positivity online and around the team will go a long long way.

We are better than this.

[italian dave]

19 minutes ago, Redrascal2 said:

Who do you think reduced the team to this level. It is thanks to Johnson and Holden we are here now and  why it is proving so hard to turn things around.

Lee Johnson left 15 months ago. Dean Holden left 6 months ago. Some clubs get through three or four managers in that time! We can’t keep blaming them we have to deal with the here and now. 

[Supersonic Robin]

The momentum is my main worry right now.

The last thing this group of players needed was 2 bitterly disappointing results to start the season. Summer was a great chance for a mental reset and I felt like we'd achieved it 70 mins into the Blackpool game! Now I'm concerned that the last week could have caused any confidence built up in the squad to dissipate.

I'm not too worried about this season as a whole (relegation is unlikely IMO), but boy could this squad do with a confidence boost.

[Barkhamred]

Was Moore stuck, out of position, on the left again or did Kalas play there?

[BTRFTG]

1 minute ago, Redrascal2 said:

I wonder how he won promotions at previous clubs if his management style and communication is that bad then. 

That's what I find myself asking?

Was he really so detached from his players at other clubs, or given his pronouncements last year, that the majority of City players were fortunate to be professional players earning a living, is his distance somewhat more telling?

Now I can understand why he might wish to sit on high at AG, but FGR? What's to be gained?

The reporter said one of NP assistants had to take the earpiece from his ear to give to TM such NP could say whatever it was he thought worth saying. All whilst, at low level, NP was 15m distant. That to me reeks of Lumsden sat on his own the far side of the pitch at Forest shortly before it all became too much for him.

[Red-Robbo]

4 minutes ago, KegCity said:

Johnson who was here for considerably longer and Holden who managed to shithouse wins at the start of the season whilst putting in worse performances? You're not wrong, but doesn't contextualise the situations of each manager.

Tonight's result is certainly poor, I just don't understand the surprise? I thought we'd all accepted this was to be a tough season, with a hell of a lot of mistakes, bad habits and generally poor play that had seeped in for 2 years to be coached out. Unsurprisingly, playing fringe players who were around for the last 2 years meant we slipped back into old habits in key moments. Not good enough by any stretch of the imagination, but hardly unexpected. 

 

I don't understand why anyone would just shrug off perhaps our most embarrassing defeat for years.

We haven't really improved in six months of Pearson. We've not seen morale improve. We've continue to see baffling selections and odd substitutions. We seem still prone to injuries. We look mentally weak. Some players he's brought in can only be counted as flops.

His managerial rep almost entirely rests on his achievements during two spells at Leicester where he achieved great things.

But that came to an end 6 years ago. It was a different club. A different owner. Maybe even Nigel was different back then.

All I'm saying is that the assumption by many that "Nigel will see us right" and somehow emulate what happened at Leicester, but with a completely different set of circumstances is, I believe, a bit complacent.

The jury is still out. 

We need to see some results. We need confidence he can at least keep us up this season. 

 

[KegCity]

2 minutes ago, Simon bristol said:

We still have that hope that our team who we have followed for years/ decades might go out and do us proud.

that squad, theres a lot of championship level players, the likes of blackpool would love to pick some of our lot,,, but its all too easy,, no real passion or pride,, everything done for them, no incentive to do anything other than the bare minimum, and huge salaries as a reward.

I’m not saying to not have hope, it’s the only thing keeping us going, but to ignore the state of the squad and the coaching it’s had is silly. 

I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said, hence why we’ve brought in two leaders in King and James and why Pearson has focused on shape and discipline. If baker had followed his man on Saturday we’d have 3 points and not be having this conversation. Unfortunately this is going to be a long, rough season, as a fan base we’ve got to accept it and support the rebuild.

[Mr Popodopolous]

5 minutes ago, Redrascal2 said:

I wonder how he won promotions at previous clubs if his management style and communication is that bad then. 

I'm very much pro NP but one promotion (League One title) 2008/09 and title at this level in 2013/14.

I'm very much pro him and think he deserves time and backing, but I have to say, comms a red herring, is his blueprint so applicable in the Championship?

Time will tell but the League feels very different now to 2013/14. Lot more foreign coaches, wider range of tactical schemes- Clubs coming down with Parachute Payments seem in a lot of cases to be getting smarter with it too.

A lot of what I say, isn't something he has any real control of but signing Simpson feels a mistake. Other signings look useful, his aversion to the loan market too? More important now than maybe 6-7 years back.

[Mr Popodopolous]

7 minutes ago, Simon bristol said:

We still have that hope that our team who we have followed for years/ decades might go out and do us proud.

that squad, theres a lot of championship level players, the likes of blackpool would love to pick some of our lot,,, but its all too easy,, no real passion or pride,, everything done for them, no incentive to do anything other than the bare minimum, and huge salaries as a reward.

Modern game, can happen at any decent sized club.

Especially somewhere like here. Fantastic training facilities, on top of good money, great city or failing that countryside nearby if they prefer, good wages.

However I doubt they've downed tools or anything, but the last minute goals, ffs.

[BTRFTG]

4 minutes ago, italian dave said:

Lee Johnson left 15 months ago.

Unfortunately the Carousel Of Crap he left behind didn't, were on expensive, long contracts & sensible clubs (unlike us,) had no desire to take them.

I don't blame Holden. I blame the sh*te squad Johnson built in his image. A multitude of players who wouldn't look out of place in a pub team.

[Red_Alligator]

34 minutes ago, SouthS22 said:

We can only dream about having Lee Johnson back at this point. At least we did occasionally win games then. Even Holden was better than this 

Your dream is many people's nightmare South. Please show some sensitivity in these turbulent times.

[KegCity]

1 minute ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

I don't understand why anyone would just shrug off perhaps our most embarrassing defeat for years.

We haven't really improved in six months of Pearson. We've not seen morale improve. We've continue to see baffling selections and odd substitutions. We seem still prone to injuries. We look mentally weak. Some players he's brought in can only be counted as flops.

His managerial rep almost entirely rests on his achievements during two spells at Leicester where he achieved great things.

But that came to an end 6 years ago. It was a different club. A different owner. Maybe even Nigel was different back then.

All I'm saying is that the assumption by many that "Nigel will see us right" and somehow emulate what happened at Leicester, but with a completely different set of circumstances is, I believe, a bit complacent.

The jury is still out. 

We need to see some results. We need confidence he can at least keep us up this season. 

 

It’s not so much shrugging it off, more accepting that this is genuinely the worst position I’ve seen a championship City side in since we last got relegated. I don’t care if our B team lose to Forest Green, the focus is on building the core of a solid side, not whether the remaining deadwood can not bottle a match after spending 2 years bottling matches.

For me it’s his spell at Watford that encourages me rather than Leicester, kept them up comfortably and has identified our weak areas well and began to address them. I’ve not been baffled by a team selection recently, the internationals haven’t had a full pre season and arguably aren’t first choice anymore anyway. Baker and Atkinson are both competent and nothing to do with the atrocious back line of last season, Nagy wants out and Wells has to compete with Martin for the only starting spot. 

Yep, two crocked players are injured again, water is wet. The proof will be in the pudding of whether players without poor injury records manage to stay fit. Are we mentally weak? We’ve lacked focus in moments, 6 months ago we lacked focus full stop. There’s improvement. It’s not fully fixed, but if Pearson had managed to wave a magic wand, teach the players what a football is, how to defend and how to score without switching off in such a short space of time he probably wouldn’t be at Bristol City.

[Kodjias Wrist]

2 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

I don't understand why anyone would just shrug off perhaps our most embarrassing defeat for years.

I mean it was an injury time equaliser, not sure where the added 6 minutes came from mind you but still FGR equalised in stoppage time and won on pens.

Its not shrugging it off but what can we do but try to remain positive? We need as much of it as possible after last season. It could have been worse it could have been 3 - 2 to them or 2 - 1 to Blackpool. 

 

[AshtonGreat]

2 hours ago, Southport Red said:

Williams looking like two games per season is his limit. 

Waste of money

[BS4 on Tour...]

3 hours ago, tin said:

More like that’s his level (v Sutton Utd).

Harsh - in his brief appearances he put in a zillion per cent more effort than Fammy ever did - ran his socks off for our shirt  ... our modern fans are so quick to dismiss average players who put in sooo much effort 

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

29 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

Yeah, should probably sack him...

What’s your solution then?  Fingers crossed?  I don’t advocate sacking the man, but something has to change on the field or we’re in big trouble…

[REDOXO]

I was so mad at the end I just got up and mowed the living shit out of the lawn. 
(It’s light where I live)

Now I’m calmer. 
 

Let no one be under any illusion Johnson and the owner by his consistently backing of a numb nuts stealing a living out of the owners pocket and Mark Chillax Ashton, followed by a bloke who had no luck but was in fact clueless has lead to where we are!

Enter Pearson, who has been told no money (the complete diametric opposite of Lee Johnson) unless he creates it. (That should tell you a lot straight away)

Thus Pearson gives everyone a chance in the first two games (anyone disagree with this sentence) 

What we now know is we have a weak stomach as a squad (pardon my simile) 

However we also know Nagy wants to run away like a b****. Simpson is slower than my mother. Janneh should under no circumstances go on loan. OLeary is a bloody good goal keeper. Our first two center back pairings were mediocre. Wells works harder than anyone for nothing. James is a good player and Massengo had a goal (albeit a Peno in a shootout we lost). 
 

A long way to go before the window shuts let alone next effing May! 

[Red-Robbo]

Just now, Kodjias Wrist said:

I mean it was an injury time equaliser, not sure where the added 6 minutes came from mind you but still FGR equalised in stoppage time and won on pens.

Its not shrugging it off but what can we do but try to remain positive? We need as much of it as possible after last season. It could have been worse it could have been 3 - 2 to them or 2 - 1 to Blackpool. 

 

We couldn't beat what will potentially be the weakest side in the league on Saturday and today we lost to a side two divisions below us. When did that last happen? I recall us losing to L1 Shrewsbury, Plymouth and Wimbledon, but when did City last not be able to overcome a side two divisions below us?

I take little positive from that. 

I think we looked slightly improved on Saturday from some games last season, but that's as far I can go into positivity.

AFAIC NP has time to pull things around, but I have to say, I wasn't expecting Pearson sides to be this poor, this far into his time here.

 

[And Its Smith]

37 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Positives

Well, not sure there are many but here goes.

*2 goals for Janneh.

*Coming from behind.

Not much else tbh! How did Simpson do at RB too, any useful performers? We did make 11 changes however.

Oh yeah, the whole last minute goal thing. Successive games...

Should we have waited a bit longer with Williams too? Injured again!! Had a fairly good availability record over his last 2-3 seasons.

Simpson was poor.

Janneh, Pring, Massengo and Bakinson only positives 

[italian dave]

7 minutes ago, BTRFTG said:

Unfortunately the Carousel Of Crap he left behind didn't, were on expensive, long contracts & sensible clubs (unlike us,) had no desire to take them.

I don't blame Holden. I blame the sh*te squad Johnson built in his image. A multitude of players who wouldn't look out of place in a pub team.

Yeah, I take the point that everything else doesn’t change overnight when a manager leaves. I just don’t see that harping back to a manager who left the club that long ago really helps with how we move forward.

And, incidentally, I don’t think the players we have/had are that bad. In fact I’d say we have some good players. Coaching, tactics, concentration, mentality, commitment, I don’t know what it is but I don’t think the players individually are that bad. 

[BTRFTG]

5 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

We haven't really improved in six months of Pearson. We've not seen morale improve

Around the time I left Bristol I was sporting a Pop Group ' We Are All Prostitutes & We All Have Our Price' T-Shirt.

When Pearson appeared on the horizon my first thoughts were we shouldn't touch him with a bargepole, my personally loathing who he is, what he stands for and his intolerable arrogance. But he gets results, I'm a prostitute, hence he'll do for me.

Notwithstanding the sewage farm Johnson left in his wake Pearson isn't getting results, neither is he openly showing signs that he's a plan so to do in the near future. 

Not sure whether we can't (or shouldn't) question alternatives but his reputation already wears thin and might potentially be wholly displaced. Hope it isn't, though we might soon find out. If he does so from the comfort and distance of the stand, I won't be holding back.

[AshtonGreat]

13 minutes ago, KegCity said:

I’m not saying to not have hope, it’s the only thing keeping us going, but to ignore the state of the squad and the coaching it’s had is silly. 

I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said, hence why we’ve brought in two leaders in King and James and why Pearson has focused on shape and discipline. If baker had followed his man on Saturday we’d have 3 points and not be having this conversation. Unfortunately this is going to be a long, rough season, as a fan base we’ve got to accept it and support the rebuild.

Which would be fine if we had any kind of confidence that it'll all work out in the end. This club has a very poor record in that area 

[James54De]

7 minutes ago, KegCity said:

It’s not so much shrugging it off, more accepting that this is genuinely the worst position I’ve seen a championship City side in since we last got relegated. I don’t care if our B team lose to Forest Green, the focus is on building the core of a solid side, not whether the remaining deadwood can not bottle a match after spending 2 years bottling matches.

For me it’s his spell at Watford that encourages me rather than Leicester, kept them up comfortably and has identified our weak areas well and began to address them. I’ve not been baffled by a team selection recently, the internationals haven’t had a full pre season and arguably aren’t first choice anymore anyway. Baker and Atkinson are both competent and nothing to do with the atrocious back line of last season, Nagy wants out and Wells has to compete with Martin for the only starting spot. 

Yep, two crocked players are injured again, water is wet. The proof will be in the pudding of whether players without poor injury records manage to stay fit. Are we mentally weak? We’ve lacked focus in moments, 6 months ago we lacked focus full stop. There’s improvement. It’s not fully fixed, but if Pearson had managed to wave a magic wand, teach the players what a football is, how to defend and how to score without switching off in such a short space of time he probably wouldn’t be at Bristol City.

Did he? Really? They got relegated the season he was there. 

[Red-Robbo]

8 minutes ago, KegCity said:

 

For me it’s his spell at Watford that encourages me rather than Leicester, kept them up comfortably

 

Um, they went down. 

[KegCity]

1 minute ago, James54De said:

Did he? Really? They got relegated the season he was there. 

Apologies, he left them above the bottom 3 with the support of the dressing room.

[BTRFTG]

1 minute ago, italian dave said:

I don’t know what it is but I don’t think the players individually are that bad

Believe me, they are. That's why they're at the Ashton Gate Retirement Home for the Incapable. 

Nobody else wants them.

[KegCity]

1 minute ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

Um, they went down. 

 

Just now, KegCity said:

Apologies, he left them above the bottom 3 with the support of the dressing room.