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Match Report: Pearson returns to touchline but City again struggle


Olé

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55 minutes into another sloppy, low quality performance Nigel Pearson stormed down from his recent lofty position and launched into his players. Within minutes a renewed City equalized but a 5 minute purple patch with their manager back on the touch line up at Middlesbrough could barely disguise the latest slow Championship capitulation.

City fans enjoyed their first away league trip since Millwall away 18 months ago in a boisterous Riverside but it was more of the same sorry story supporters have followed via RobinsTV as despite lots of possession and playing out from the back, the visitors were second best wherever it mattered - in the end rightly going down 2-1 to Boro.

Pearson's men were terrorized by Isaiah Jones in both halves - the left winger aptly wearing goggles for all his diving - but he made both the home goals and showed a pace and directness a relegation fancied City side increasingly lack. Andy King got his first Robins goal from a set piece when we threw on Nahki Wells and went 442. 

The match kicked off in shining sun and a home end waving flags and building up an atmosphere in their first home fixture since lockdown. It was City who settled first and showed a regular propensity to play out from the back, on 5 minutes new signing Rob Atkinson going on a barnstorming run only for his cut back to miss team mates.

On the 10th minute another Atkinson run drew midfielders and allowed the former Oxford defender to play in teenager Scott whose cross sailed beyond everyone. Next Boro winger Jones pulled back Vyner right in front of the ref (a homer all game) who allowed the tricky flankman to have space and run in on goal to win the first corner.

Midway through the half Kasey Palmer, as usual combative but routinely sloppy, gave the ball away cheaply in the Boro half, and King had to haul down his opponent on the break, earning a booking. This was typical of City who looked composed playing out but lacked quality in the Boro half and let the hosts routinely threaten on the break.

On the half hour Palmer slid in upfield and won the ball allowing Scott to race away - the teenager spreading left to Dasilva to wriggle away and slip into the box. The full back picked his way through players only to shoot straight at a crowd. By this point City were giving as good as they got - yet without any quality or composure upfield.

Boro left winger Jones had been diving at any contact during the first half - enabled by the soft referee. His goggles may have been appropriate for that act, but on 37 minutes he showed his class, dummying right back Vyner, driving into the box to drill across goal knowing City could barely clear their lines, Ikpeazu slamming home.

Unbelievably this was the fifth goal in 15 days that City had conceded in identical fashion - three of those against Villa - the routine of drilled ball from left and slower to react than opponents with their strikers queuing up in the six yard box. If City are working on things at their expensive High Performance Centre it isn't goals like this.

City were attacking towards their fans in the second half but on 51 another Jones break down the left shamefully contrived yet another of the chances City seem to routinely concede. His cross into the box found goalscorer Ikpeazu with acres of space only to head wide with the goal at his mercy. City's weakness was obvious.

The only bright spot of another careless City performance was the ability to play out from the two centre backs and on 53 Nathan Baker went on a prowling run, a through ball sliding Andreas Weimann into the box, who held off a marker and shot straight at a defender with Chris Martin to his right roaring to setup a better chance.

 It was now that manager Pearson stormed down from a customary position up in the main stand, reacting to yet another feeble waste of an attack - showing his fury at his sloppy away team. Palmer next seized on a loose ball to steer a shot just wide of the right post from the edge of the box - before departing as Wells made it a 442.

The impact was almost immediate. On 58 the striker got down the right and played King into the channel. The midfielder was hacked down - and from the resultant free kick out right of the box ex Leicester team mates Matty James and King combined, a lifted ball into the six yard box found King unmarked, able to bury an easy header.

Suddenly the away side were buoyant and backed by noisy away fans City's players strode upfield, first Weimann hacked down outside the box - Wells free kick blocked - then Wells combining well on the left and carving a channel for Dasilva to sprint in, a rare foray into the box, squared across, but unlike City, desperately cleared away.

Next Scott cut in from the left and saw a curling shot from just inside the Boro box cleared over then within seconds Wells got out down the right channel under pressure from an opponent, lifting an early ball into the box, Martin's header down easily dealt with. Pearson might have enjoyed the brief resurgence but in truth City were poor.

In minutes they were back behind as once again Jones tumbled easily deep left and from a McNair free kick into the box it was goalscorer Ikpeazu who rose unopposed to nod on into the six yard box with Matt Crooks reacting faster than a flat footed City defence, sliding in to slam home the loose ball past stunned keeper Bentley.

City rarely got close to a leveller. On 75 a rare passing move worked space outside the box but Wells shot from range was a tame one with others better placed. At the other end James again won a free kick on the left from which Boro again won a first ball in the crowded box only to convert the shot straight into keeper Bentley's hands.

By now teenager Janneh was on and he kept a long ball down the left in play inside the last ten, lifting it back to James whose cross into the box found Martin stretching for a diving header on goal that Wells got ahead of and steered over. City looked a lot better with two up front but yet again lacked the composure of their opponents.

With minutes left marauding City defender Atkinson gave the ball away in front of his own box only for Jones shot at the edge of the box to be easily claimed by Bentley. Just before time added on Weimann got under a through ball to steer an onward header from the edge of the box over the keeper but also onto the roof of the net.

In injury time City lacked fluidity but with their final move Janneh swung the ball in from the left, Weimann headed back over from the right and with their best chance of the match James dropped into space and with time - and the goal - at his mercy he snatched a half volley into the ground and tamely wide with time running out.

At a stadium where City have consistently enjoyed rich pickings this was among their poorest and most complacent showings - a 13th for Pearson without a win - and it is concerning that even a brief rally following Pearson's return to the touchline did little to change the impression that the visitors are now easily among the divisions worst.

 

Bentley 6 A few routine saves but given woeful protection for both goals

Vyner 5 Harshly treated by the ref given James reoeated diving but second best to the left winger when it mattered

Dasilva 6 Among our better players and retained possession well but none of the passing or purpose he has under LJ

Atkinson 6 Some impressive runs out of the defence with the ball and looks class in possession but part of a pair that was beaten too easily in the air

Baker 5 Suprisingly mobile playing out from the back but expect more first ball when Boro got it in our box - no surprise Kalas was brought on

James 5 Never stopped running but with absolutely no quality or interplay

King 5 See James - glad we are building a team around people who run around a lot with little quality. Think I'd rather watch an LJ team

Palmer 4 Some full blooded tackles but his touches and passes were poor and didn't ever really get into the game 

Scott 6 Scary that a 17 year old is our best footballer among our front six - sadly had no one of any quality or pace to supply

Weimann 4 Mostly made all the wrong decisions and in any case drifted in and out of the game for long periods

Martin 3 Absolutely woeful for a serious Championship team that play him one up top. Brought no one into play, carried no threat and absolutely no pace.

 

Wells 6 Definitely galvanized the team and generally we looked more dangerous in a 442 but didn't always pick right pass

Janneh 6 Looked strong and purposeful and didn't do anything wrong

Kalas 6 One of his last games?

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16 minutes ago, Olé said:

55 minutes into another sloppy, low quality performance Nigel Pearson stormed down from his recent lofty position and launched into his players. Within minutes a renewed City equalized but a 5 minute purple patch with their manager back on the touch line up at Middlesbrough could barely disguise the latest slow Championship capitulation.

City fans enjoyed their first away league trip since Millwall away 18 months ago in a boisterous Riverside but it was more of the same sorry story supporters have followed via RobinsTV as despite lots of possession and playing out from the back, the visitors were second best wherever it mattered - in the end rightly going down 2-1 to Boro.

Pearson's men were terrorized by Isaiah Jones in both halves - the left winger aptly wearing goggles for all his diving - but he made both the home goals and showed a pace and directness a relegation fancied City side increasingly lack. Andy King got his first Robins goal from a set piece when we threw on Nahki Wells and went 442. 

The match kicked off in shining sun and a home end waving flags and building up an atmosphere in their first home fixture since lockdown. It was City who settled first and showed a regular propensity to play out from the back, on 5 minutes new signing Rob Atkinson going on a barnstorming run only for his cut back to miss team mates.

On the 10th minute another Atkinson run drew midfielders and allowed the former Oxford defender to play in teenager Scott whose cross sailed beyond everyone. Next Boro winger Jones pulled back Vyner right in front of the ref (a homer all game) who allowed the tricky flankman to have space and run in on goal to win the first corner.

Midway through the half Kasey Palmer, as usual combative but routinely sloppy, gave the ball away cheaply in the Boro half, and King had to haul down his opponent on the break, earning a booking. This was typical of City who looked composed playing out but lacked quality in the Boro half and let the hosts routinely threaten on the break.

On the half hour Palmer slid in upfield and won the ball allowing Scott to race away - the teenager spreading left to Dasilva to wriggle away and slip into the box. The full back picked his way through players only to shoot straight at a crowd. By this point City were giving as good as they got - yet without any quality or composure upfield.

Boro left winger Jones had been diving at any contact during the first half - enabled by the soft referee. His goggles may have been appropriate for that act, but on 37 minutes he showed his class, dummying right back Vyner, driving into the box to drill across goal knowing City could barely clear their lines, Ikpeazu slamming home.

Unbelievably this was the fifth goal in 15 days that City had conceded in identical fashion - three of those against Villa - the routine of drilled ball from left and slower to react than opponents with their strikers queuing up in the six yard box. If City are working on things at their expensive High Performance Centre it isn't goals like this.

City were attacking towards their fans in the second half but on 51 another Jones break down the left shamefully contrived yet another of the chances City seem to routinely concede. His cross into the box found goalscorer Ikpeazu with acres of space only to head wide with the goal at his mercy. City's weakness was obvious.

The only bright spot of another careless City performance was the ability to play out from the two centre backs and on 53 Nathan Baker went on a prowling run, a through ball sliding Andreas Weimann into the box, who held off a marker and shot straight at a defender with Chris Martin to his right roaring to setup a better chance.

 It was now that manager Pearson stormed down from a customary position up in the main stand, reacting to yet another feeble waste of an attack - showing his fury at his sloppy away team. Palmer next seized on a loose ball to steer a shot just wide of the right post from the edge of the box - before departing as Wells made it a 442.

The impact was almost immediate. On 58 the striker got down the right and played King into the channel. The midfielder was hacked down - and from the resultant free kick out right of the box ex Leicester team mates Matty James and King combined, a lifted ball into the six yard box found King unmarked, able to bury an easy header.

Suddenly the away side were buoyant and backed by noisy away fans City's players strode upfield, first Weimann hacked down outside the box - Wells free kick blocked - then Wells combining well on the left and carving a channel for Dasilva to sprint in, a rare foray into the box, squared across, but unlike City, desperately cleared away.

Next Scott cut in from the left and saw a curling shot from just inside the Boro box cleared over then within seconds Wells got out down the right channel under pressure from an opponent, lifting an early ball into the box, Martin's header down easily dealt with. Pearson might have enjoyed the brief resurgence but in truth City were poor.

In minutes they were back behind as once again Jones tumbled easily deep left and from a McNair free kick into the box it was goalscorer Ikpeazu who rose unopposed to nod on into the six yard box with Matt Crooks reacting faster than a flat footed City defence, sliding in to slam home the loose ball past stunned keeper Bentley.

City rarely got close to a leveller. On 75 a rare passing move worked space outside the box but Wells shot from range was a tame one with others better placed. At the other end James again won a free kick on the left from which Boro again won a first ball in the crowded box only to convert the shot straight into keeper Bentley's hands.

By now teenager Janneh was on and he kept a long ball down the left in play inside the last ten, lifting it back to James whose cross into the box found Martin stretching for a diving header on goal that Wells got ahead of and steered over. City looked a lot better with two up front but yet again lacked the composure of their opponents.

With minutes left marauding City defender Atkinson gave the ball away in front of his own box only for Jones shot at the edge of the box to be easily claimed by Bentley. Just before time added on Weimann got under a through ball to steer an onward header from the edge of the box over the keeper but also onto the roof of the net.

In injury time City lacked fluidity but with their final move Janneh swung the ball in from the left, Weimann headed back over from the right and with their best chance of the match James dropped into space and with time - and the goal - at his mercy he snatched a half volley into the ground and tamely wide with time running out.

At a stadium where City have consistently enjoyed rich pickings this was among their poorest and most complacent showings - a 13th for Pearson without a win - and it is concerning that even a brief rally following Pearson's return to the touchline did little to change the impression that the visitors are now easily among the divisions worst.

 

Bentley 6 A few routine saves but given woeful protection for both goals

Vyner 5 Harshly treated by the ref given James reoeated diving but second best to the left winger when it mattered

Dasilva 6 Among our better players and retained possession well but none of the passing or purpose he has under LJ

Atkinson 6 Some impressive runs out of the defence with the ball and looks class in possession but part of a pair that was beaten too easily in the air

Baker 5 Suprisingly mobile playing out from the back but expect more first ball when Boro got it in our box - no surprise Kalas was brought on

James 5 Never stopped running but with absolutely no quality or interplay

King 5 See James - glad we are building a team around people who run around a lot with little quality. Think I'd rather watch an LJ team

Palmer 4 Some full blooded tackles but his touches and passes were poor and didn't ever really get into the game 

Scott 6 Scary that a 17 year old is our best footballer among our front six - sadly had no one of any quality or pace to supply

Weimann 4 Mostly made all the wrong decisions and in any case drifted in and out of the game for long periods

Martin 3 Absolutely woeful for a serious Championship team that play him one up top. Brought no one into play, carried no threat and absolutely no pace.

 

Wells 6 Definitely galvanized the team and generally we looked more dangerous in a 442 but didn't always pick right pass

Janneh 6 Looked strong and purposeful and didn't do anything wrong

Kalas 6 One of his last games?

Great write-up Rob.  Your views were echoed by a caller in a car returning from Middlesbrough.  My concern is the same as yours: Pearson seems unable to get the players performing to the best of their ability, let alone make the whole greater than the sum of the parts.  The players have underperformed for the last dozen or more games, and Pearson doesn’t seem to be able to lift them.  I half expected him to do a Coppell…

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Good write up Rob. Wouldn’t disagree with any of that.

You are right to highlight just how poor Martin was today. Awful touch - worse than Fam on a bad day. Everything that came to him just bounced of him to a Boro player, even if they were yards away. In marked contrast to Ikpeazu.

I felt we missed our chance to get back into it when we were on top but just seemed to lack any self belief. 

If Kalas leaves and we haven’t got a replacement lined up then I really see us leaking goals for fun all season. I’m not suggesting he’s a magic bullet on his own: even with him here we’ve got work to do - but without him it becomes an impossible task.

Disappointed that Pearson couldn’t be arsed to even acknowledge the City fans who’d made a very long trip and had backed the team pretty well throughout. 

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Poor up front, poor at the back, and weak in the middle. Definitely less than the sum of the parts. Plus the formation doesn’t work with this group of players.
 

Things are not looking rosy right now and this has major echoes of our time under SO’D when the clocks went forward and were within hours of going back without us winning a league match. 
 

There are plenty of excuses for Pearson but the clock is ticking and eventually someone has to accept responsibility that it’s not working. Can he turn it around? I really hope so, but the evidence so far is pretty damning.

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7 hours ago, Dr Balls said:

Poor up front, poor at the back, and weak in the middle. Definitely less than the sum of the parts. Plus the formation doesn’t work with this group of players.
 

Things are not looking rosy right now and this has major echoes of our time under SO’D when the clocks went forward and were within hours of going back without us winning a league match. 
 

There are plenty of excuses for Pearson but the clock is ticking and eventually someone has to accept responsibility that it’s not working. Can he turn it around? I really hope so, but the evidence so far is pretty damning.

We’re still a long way from the SO’D run of results at present but I share your concerns.

Can Pearson get this lot playing? The evidence at the moment really suggests not but we have to acknowledge that it’s still early days. I just wonder whether his approach is too old school and authoritarian for the modern game and the characters we have here.

I really want NP to do well but it’s not looking promising. He doesn’t help himself with a lot of his antics either. Not acknowledging the away fans is a small thing in some people’s minds but those gestures just help to keep people on side and build a togetherness…. Christ knows we need that. Not doing it is cussed and daft. His feud with Gregor is tedious already and we’re only 3 games in. These are things that would be easy to fix but he’s too stubborn to bother with them. 

I’m still hopeful Pearson is the right man and he has my full backing. All we need is a couple of wins to get us going, but that feels a long way off at present. 

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9 hours ago, WefellinlovewithMP said:

We are rubbish to watch no passion,bo decent attacks,imo we will struggle to stay up.buzzing for Reading on Tuesday not. I will get behind the team but it just seems pointless at the moment. Sorry to bang on about our owner but he loves the rugby and has taken his eye off the ball concerning the football,league 1 beckons 

Wibble.

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11 hours ago, Olé said:

55 minutes into another sloppy, low quality performance Nigel Pearson stormed down from his recent lofty position and launched into his players. Within minutes a renewed City equalized but a 5 minute purple patch with their manager back on the touch line up at Middlesbrough could barely disguise the latest slow Championship capitulation.

City fans enjoyed their first away league trip since Millwall away 18 months ago in a boisterous Riverside but it was more of the same sorry story supporters have followed via RobinsTV as despite lots of possession and playing out from the back, the visitors were second best wherever it mattered - in the end rightly going down 2-1 to Boro.

Pearson's men were terrorized by Isaiah Jones in both halves - the left winger aptly wearing goggles for all his diving - but he made both the home goals and showed a pace and directness a relegation fancied City side increasingly lack. Andy King got his first Robins goal from a set piece when we threw on Nahki Wells and went 442. 

The match kicked off in shining sun and a home end waving flags and building up an atmosphere in their first home fixture since lockdown. It was City who settled first and showed a regular propensity to play out from the back, on 5 minutes new signing Rob Atkinson going on a barnstorming run only for his cut back to miss team mates.

On the 10th minute another Atkinson run drew midfielders and allowed the former Oxford defender to play in teenager Scott whose cross sailed beyond everyone. Next Boro winger Jones pulled back Vyner right in front of the ref (a homer all game) who allowed the tricky flankman to have space and run in on goal to win the first corner.

Midway through the half Kasey Palmer, as usual combative but routinely sloppy, gave the ball away cheaply in the Boro half, and King had to haul down his opponent on the break, earning a booking. This was typical of City who looked composed playing out but lacked quality in the Boro half and let the hosts routinely threaten on the break.

On the half hour Palmer slid in upfield and won the ball allowing Scott to race away - the teenager spreading left to Dasilva to wriggle away and slip into the box. The full back picked his way through players only to shoot straight at a crowd. By this point City were giving as good as they got - yet without any quality or composure upfield.

Boro left winger Jones had been diving at any contact during the first half - enabled by the soft referee. His goggles may have been appropriate for that act, but on 37 minutes he showed his class, dummying right back Vyner, driving into the box to drill across goal knowing City could barely clear their lines, Ikpeazu slamming home.

Unbelievably this was the fifth goal in 15 days that City had conceded in identical fashion - three of those against Villa - the routine of drilled ball from left and slower to react than opponents with their strikers queuing up in the six yard box. If City are working on things at their expensive High Performance Centre it isn't goals like this.

City were attacking towards their fans in the second half but on 51 another Jones break down the left shamefully contrived yet another of the chances City seem to routinely concede. His cross into the box found goalscorer Ikpeazu with acres of space only to head wide with the goal at his mercy. City's weakness was obvious.

The only bright spot of another careless City performance was the ability to play out from the two centre backs and on 53 Nathan Baker went on a prowling run, a through ball sliding Andreas Weimann into the box, who held off a marker and shot straight at a defender with Chris Martin to his right roaring to setup a better chance.

 It was now that manager Pearson stormed down from a customary position up in the main stand, reacting to yet another feeble waste of an attack - showing his fury at his sloppy away team. Palmer next seized on a loose ball to steer a shot just wide of the right post from the edge of the box - before departing as Wells made it a 442.

The impact was almost immediate. On 58 the striker got down the right and played King into the channel. The midfielder was hacked down - and from the resultant free kick out right of the box ex Leicester team mates Matty James and King combined, a lifted ball into the six yard box found King unmarked, able to bury an easy header.

Suddenly the away side were buoyant and backed by noisy away fans City's players strode upfield, first Weimann hacked down outside the box - Wells free kick blocked - then Wells combining well on the left and carving a channel for Dasilva to sprint in, a rare foray into the box, squared across, but unlike City, desperately cleared away.

Next Scott cut in from the left and saw a curling shot from just inside the Boro box cleared over then within seconds Wells got out down the right channel under pressure from an opponent, lifting an early ball into the box, Martin's header down easily dealt with. Pearson might have enjoyed the brief resurgence but in truth City were poor.

In minutes they were back behind as once again Jones tumbled easily deep left and from a McNair free kick into the box it was goalscorer Ikpeazu who rose unopposed to nod on into the six yard box with Matt Crooks reacting faster than a flat footed City defence, sliding in to slam home the loose ball past stunned keeper Bentley.

City rarely got close to a leveller. On 75 a rare passing move worked space outside the box but Wells shot from range was a tame one with others better placed. At the other end James again won a free kick on the left from which Boro again won a first ball in the crowded box only to convert the shot straight into keeper Bentley's hands.

By now teenager Janneh was on and he kept a long ball down the left in play inside the last ten, lifting it back to James whose cross into the box found Martin stretching for a diving header on goal that Wells got ahead of and steered over. City looked a lot better with two up front but yet again lacked the composure of their opponents.

With minutes left marauding City defender Atkinson gave the ball away in front of his own box only for Jones shot at the edge of the box to be easily claimed by Bentley. Just before time added on Weimann got under a through ball to steer an onward header from the edge of the box over the keeper but also onto the roof of the net.

In injury time City lacked fluidity but with their final move Janneh swung the ball in from the left, Weimann headed back over from the right and with their best chance of the match James dropped into space and with time - and the goal - at his mercy he snatched a half volley into the ground and tamely wide with time running out.

At a stadium where City have consistently enjoyed rich pickings this was among their poorest and most complacent showings - a 13th for Pearson without a win - and it is concerning that even a brief rally following Pearson's return to the touchline did little to change the impression that the visitors are now easily among the divisions worst.

 

Bentley 6 A few routine saves but given woeful protection for both goals

Vyner 5 Harshly treated by the ref given James reoeated diving but second best to the left winger when it mattered

Dasilva 6 Among our better players and retained possession well but none of the passing or purpose he has under LJ

Atkinson 6 Some impressive runs out of the defence with the ball and looks class in possession but part of a pair that was beaten too easily in the air

Baker 5 Suprisingly mobile playing out from the back but expect more first ball when Boro got it in our box - no surprise Kalas was brought on

James 5 Never stopped running but with absolutely no quality or interplay

King 5 See James - glad we are building a team around people who run around a lot with little quality. Think I'd rather watch an LJ team

Palmer 4 Some full blooded tackles but his touches and passes were poor and didn't ever really get into the game 

Scott 6 Scary that a 17 year old is our best footballer among our front six - sadly had no one of any quality or pace to supply

Weimann 4 Mostly made all the wrong decisions and in any case drifted in and out of the game for long periods

Martin 3 Absolutely woeful for a serious Championship team that play him one up top. Brought no one into play, carried no threat and absolutely no pace.

 

Wells 6 Definitely galvanized the team and generally we looked more dangerous in a 442 but didn't always pick right pass

Janneh 6 Looked strong and purposeful and didn't do anything wrong

Kalas 6 One of his last games?

Having watched the game on RobinsTV an excellent report that hits all the nails on the head. Really worrying times, cannot see where the next win is coming from at the moment.

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12 hours ago, Olé said:

55 minutes into another sloppy, low quality performance Nigel Pearson stormed down from his recent lofty position and launched into his players. Within minutes a renewed City equalized but a 5 minute purple patch with their manager back on the touch line up at Middlesbrough could barely disguise the latest slow Championship capitulation.

City fans enjoyed their first away league trip since Millwall away 18 months ago in a boisterous Riverside but it was more of the same sorry story supporters have followed via RobinsTV as despite lots of possession and playing out from the back, the visitors were second best wherever it mattered - in the end rightly going down 2-1 to Boro.

Pearson's men were terrorized by Isaiah Jones in both halves - the left winger aptly wearing goggles for all his diving - but he made both the home goals and showed a pace and directness a relegation fancied City side increasingly lack. Andy King got his first Robins goal from a set piece when we threw on Nahki Wells and went 442. 

The match kicked off in shining sun and a home end waving flags and building up an atmosphere in their first home fixture since lockdown. It was City who settled first and showed a regular propensity to play out from the back, on 5 minutes new signing Rob Atkinson going on a barnstorming run only for his cut back to miss team mates.

On the 10th minute another Atkinson run drew midfielders and allowed the former Oxford defender to play in teenager Scott whose cross sailed beyond everyone. Next Boro winger Jones pulled back Vyner right in front of the ref (a homer all game) who allowed the tricky flankman to have space and run in on goal to win the first corner.

Midway through the half Kasey Palmer, as usual combative but routinely sloppy, gave the ball away cheaply in the Boro half, and King had to haul down his opponent on the break, earning a booking. This was typical of City who looked composed playing out but lacked quality in the Boro half and let the hosts routinely threaten on the break.

On the half hour Palmer slid in upfield and won the ball allowing Scott to race away - the teenager spreading left to Dasilva to wriggle away and slip into the box. The full back picked his way through players only to shoot straight at a crowd. By this point City were giving as good as they got - yet without any quality or composure upfield.

Boro left winger Jones had been diving at any contact during the first half - enabled by the soft referee. His goggles may have been appropriate for that act, but on 37 minutes he showed his class, dummying right back Vyner, driving into the box to drill across goal knowing City could barely clear their lines, Ikpeazu slamming home.

Unbelievably this was the fifth goal in 15 days that City had conceded in identical fashion - three of those against Villa - the routine of drilled ball from left and slower to react than opponents with their strikers queuing up in the six yard box. If City are working on things at their expensive High Performance Centre it isn't goals like this.

City were attacking towards their fans in the second half but on 51 another Jones break down the left shamefully contrived yet another of the chances City seem to routinely concede. His cross into the box found goalscorer Ikpeazu with acres of space only to head wide with the goal at his mercy. City's weakness was obvious.

The only bright spot of another careless City performance was the ability to play out from the two centre backs and on 53 Nathan Baker went on a prowling run, a through ball sliding Andreas Weimann into the box, who held off a marker and shot straight at a defender with Chris Martin to his right roaring to setup a better chance.

 It was now that manager Pearson stormed down from a customary position up in the main stand, reacting to yet another feeble waste of an attack - showing his fury at his sloppy away team. Palmer next seized on a loose ball to steer a shot just wide of the right post from the edge of the box - before departing as Wells made it a 442.

The impact was almost immediate. On 58 the striker got down the right and played King into the channel. The midfielder was hacked down - and from the resultant free kick out right of the box ex Leicester team mates Matty James and King combined, a lifted ball into the six yard box found King unmarked, able to bury an easy header.

Suddenly the away side were buoyant and backed by noisy away fans City's players strode upfield, first Weimann hacked down outside the box - Wells free kick blocked - then Wells combining well on the left and carving a channel for Dasilva to sprint in, a rare foray into the box, squared across, but unlike City, desperately cleared away.

Next Scott cut in from the left and saw a curling shot from just inside the Boro box cleared over then within seconds Wells got out down the right channel under pressure from an opponent, lifting an early ball into the box, Martin's header down easily dealt with. Pearson might have enjoyed the brief resurgence but in truth City were poor.

In minutes they were back behind as once again Jones tumbled easily deep left and from a McNair free kick into the box it was goalscorer Ikpeazu who rose unopposed to nod on into the six yard box with Matt Crooks reacting faster than a flat footed City defence, sliding in to slam home the loose ball past stunned keeper Bentley.

City rarely got close to a leveller. On 75 a rare passing move worked space outside the box but Wells shot from range was a tame one with others better placed. At the other end James again won a free kick on the left from which Boro again won a first ball in the crowded box only to convert the shot straight into keeper Bentley's hands.

By now teenager Janneh was on and he kept a long ball down the left in play inside the last ten, lifting it back to James whose cross into the box found Martin stretching for a diving header on goal that Wells got ahead of and steered over. City looked a lot better with two up front but yet again lacked the composure of their opponents.

With minutes left marauding City defender Atkinson gave the ball away in front of his own box only for Jones shot at the edge of the box to be easily claimed by Bentley. Just before time added on Weimann got under a through ball to steer an onward header from the edge of the box over the keeper but also onto the roof of the net.

In injury time City lacked fluidity but with their final move Janneh swung the ball in from the left, Weimann headed back over from the right and with their best chance of the match James dropped into space and with time - and the goal - at his mercy he snatched a half volley into the ground and tamely wide with time running out.

At a stadium where City have consistently enjoyed rich pickings this was among their poorest and most complacent showings - a 13th for Pearson without a win - and it is concerning that even a brief rally following Pearson's return to the touchline did little to change the impression that the visitors are now easily among the divisions worst.

 

Bentley 6 A few routine saves but given woeful protection for both goals

Vyner 5 Harshly treated by the ref given James reoeated diving but second best to the left winger when it mattered

Dasilva 6 Among our better players and retained possession well but none of the passing or purpose he has under LJ

Atkinson 6 Some impressive runs out of the defence with the ball and looks class in possession but part of a pair that was beaten too easily in the air

Baker 5 Suprisingly mobile playing out from the back but expect more first ball when Boro got it in our box - no surprise Kalas was brought on

James 5 Never stopped running but with absolutely no quality or interplay

King 5 See James - glad we are building a team around people who run around a lot with little quality. Think I'd rather watch an LJ team

Palmer 4 Some full blooded tackles but his touches and passes were poor and didn't ever really get into the game 

Scott 6 Scary that a 17 year old is our best footballer among our front six - sadly had no one of any quality or pace to supply

Weimann 4 Mostly made all the wrong decisions and in any case drifted in and out of the game for long periods

Martin 3 Absolutely woeful for a serious Championship team that play him one up top. Brought no one into play, carried no threat and absolutely no pace.

 

Wells 6 Definitely galvanized the team and generally we looked more dangerous in a 442 but didn't always pick right pass

Janneh 6 Looked strong and purposeful and didn't do anything wrong

Kalas 6 One of his last games?

I’ve missed this.

Thank you 

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6 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

Gregor thinks Weimann and Palmer were the same rating (6) as Baker and Atkinson!

I guess it's a game of opinions but wow!

I had Weimann, Palmer and Vyner as 3/10 but maybe I'm a bit harsh. Most of the rest I'd have 5/6.

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