real_bristol

1 hour ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Strangely before that Huddersfield game there was a game not long before, perhaps defeat number 6 or 7 where we scored 1st...then subsided to 4-1 down v Chesterfield.

Loads of fans left but of those who remained some made a real racket. It wasn't a turning point but elements of darkness before dawn perhaps.

Absolutely. Dark days come with the territory supporting this club. That doesn’t mean we should resign to relegation mind you and probably why we do back them through thick and thin. Probably more so at the old Aston Gate, but I’ve always felt that the atmosphere was better with less fans. Perhaps when only the hardcore turned up. When we used to get 16,000+ atmospheres went a bit flat.

3 hours ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

I suppose the ball was dead though.

Yeah I didn’t hear the whistle. Looked like the Swansea player was running away with it, in which case he should have played advantage, assuming the initial foul was given against Scott. 

Probably a fair result considering our first half performance. They looked so much better on the ball but did not really look like scoring a 2nd. Second half was mostly all us and truth be told we should have killed the game off. Seems to be commonplace lately certainly with the Millwall game. 
 

Great to see Semenyo pick up some momentum. 

2 minutes ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

Retaliation?

That’s what it was. I’m not sure of the rules here, even if it’s off the ball is it not a free kick, penalty in this case to us? That’s at least three pens, we should have had today.

10 hours ago, The Swan and Cemetery said:

Dragged into another relegation dogfight. Need QPR to give us 3 sides of Loftus Road for a miracle last day escape? 

Careful. Those ITK that say we’re already down will be calling you a happy clapper with that kind of positivity  

9 hours ago, Major Isewater said:

We all know that players move on but which one leaving effected you the most ? 
I was devastated when SuperBob got given away to West Brom. Our talisman had gone and for bugger all, £300,000 the Baggies had our trousers down. 

Same player for different reasons. He was my first favourite player. I wasn’t old enough to understand transfers but I do remember being gutted. I actually met him a few years back at some event underneath the dolman I think he told me Lumsden didn’t have much time for him so shipped him out. Got the impression he didn’t want to leave. He also told me he worked in construction after retiring. Great player, top bloke.

9 hours ago, Pezo said:

I stand in the corner and give it my all every game so I'm with you and will continue to give it my all to support the players.

That said we have to see what's infront of us and unstoppable isn't the word I would use, I see no evidence for anything other than average at best with the odd drift into uncompetitiveness. I agree that the setup looks better since last year but it's from an extremely low bar where we didn't look competitive and we still have moments of looking like we aren't competitive. I'm not one of those that say I'm only interested in being entertained, I love to see us winning and playing good football is a bonus for me but not being competitive is not good enough for me to feel like I can defend and be be proud of our football club.

Pearson said he was going to build from the back, we're still letting in stupid goals. Pearson regularly references getting a corner or a shot on target was celebrated when he first came in, against West brom we had 1 corner and 1 shot on target in the second half, if it had gone in and we hadn't conceded we would have only drawn the game - that's not good and miles away from being unstoppable.

Good, keep that up. I’ll be honest with you, I’m in the “fortunate” position where I have to watch games on Robins TV so don’t really get a sense of the atmosphere. I was talking about how it was when we were bottom of the 3rd tier and how it should be in my opinion. Now we have a young-ish crop of players and I think we all know that talent-wise they should be well above where they are now. I’ve seen pretty much every game this season on the telly and I just feel that it’s close to “clicking” if that makes sense. If and when it does click I believe the squad can build the confidence and momentum needed to be unstoppable. It’s a matter of opinion but this is  certainly possible. First and foremost players need to show the level of effort they did against Millwall and Cov. That should be enough to get the crowd on board. 

3 hours ago, Pezo said:

You've got to have something to get behind even if it's just an outside chance of a comeback some memory and evidence that your team is still in the game, let's face it we give away soft goals, find it hard to break teams down and tire as the game goes on - hardly a recipe for making anyone think we have a hope of finishing strongly and mounting a comeback, it's more likely that as we tire we will concede leading to more anxiety as we finish rather than hope.

There is an element of us becoming customers rather than supporters as well, our fanbase has been successfully socially engineered in the last 20 years to be like this, with the cost of football as it is we have to produce an entertaining spectacle, and we just don't.

It’s cyclical though Pez. What goes around comes around. Who was it that used to talk about the 12th man, one of the Johnson’s I think. I’ll never forget that Huddersfield game under Gary after he first took over then lost all those games on the bounce. My Dad and I made the decision to go that day because we knew the players needed us, we were going to get behind them regardless. That’s what we need from the fans now as hard as it may be. In my opinion this is what separates the men from the boys. As fans we have to dig deep as well. Ok Pearson has made a few questionable selection decisions but the whole setup just looks better. If we can give these players some confidence, get them on a run, I think they could be unstoppable. 

11 hours ago, Dr Balls said:

While there is a lot of pessimism among supporters at the moment, part of the reason for that would appear to be our recent dire home form. If you look at the form tables for the last 6 games at home and last 6 away, we have only taken 2 points from a possible 18 at home (drawn 2, lost 4, -5 goal difference) and are 23rd in that table, whereas away we have 9 points from a possible 18 (2 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss, +2 goal difference) and are 12th in that table:

https://footystats.org/england/championship/form-table

Accepting that those 6 home games include losses against Sheffield United (night time robbery) and an in-form West Brom, it’s really the recent defeat against Stoke that stands out as a particularly bad result, especially as their form otherwise has been pretty poor.

So what needs to change? A few wins at home would not only help us up the league table, but also relieve a lot of pressure on Nige. Most supporters  only see the team play at Ashton Gate, so this can really colour opinions either way. There was similar discontent in the last couple of seasons under LJ, again in large part because the home form was so poor.

Positivity. On both sides of the touch line. In the stands, with the staff, in our play. Positivity fuels belief. Those players know they could have got 6 points from the last two games. Just need to bring that home. A win on Sunday will help. UTFC

I think to say he was poor int he first half is unfair. I thought he had a good game considering he’s been off for a month. He got bullied a little in the first half and the challenge from their captain early on probably shook him up a bit. I actually think he was targeted a little in that respect and he’s a little way off his best which won’t be resolved by sitting on the bench.
For his one-on-one with the keeper he should have used his toe rather than let it bounce up so he could get his laces on it but that’s with the benefit of super slow-mo on the replay.
The 1 in 9 stat is influenced by his run of games when he first started making the team when he didn’t score for ages. He’s a confidence player but aren’t they all. I thought he was played too centrally yesterday he’s better when he runs in from the channel. I’d be tempted to start him behind the front two so he can pick it up and run at them. Also distribution to him wasn’t great. 
With regards to his value, keeping him under the radar has its benefits and might nudge him towards signing a new contract. First striker on the team sheet for me and hope he starts v Cov if recovered. 

47 minutes ago, The Bard said:

Was there the hint that we are rotating players in certain positions because we have 3 games in 7 days?  He's always been averse to this which is detrimental in the long term.  If we start with Semenyo and Wells on Sunday, it will mean he's actually started each striker twice in 3 games with the other on the bench. I felt Semenyo benefitted from being left on the pitch.  He couldn't control a bag of cement in the first half but give him a couple of starts away from the toxic atmosphere at the gate and he could just play himself into form.  If he does then we improve hugely as a team and put ourselves in a better bargaining position for his sale be it late January or the Summer.

Yep. Semenyo needs a run of games. Thought he did well considering it was his first full game back against a very physical side. He took a couple of knocks and I actually think he was targeted a little in that respect but he’s a little way off his best which won’t be resolved by sitting on the bench. For his one-on-one with the keeper he should have used his toe rather than let it bounce up so he could get his laces on it but that’s with the benefit of super slow-mo on the replay. Hope he starts v Cov if he’s recovered. 

3 hours ago, luke_bristol said:

Don’t think I’ve ever seen this from an agent before. Might be a desperate last roll of the dice from NP to stay on and hopefully get through to the summer and a chance to spend some money.

This is what we might regret if we sack him too soon. He’s signed some really promising free transfers. Imagine what he could do with a bit of coin.

Just now, ScottishRed said:

Not a hope in hell he would be remotely interested.

( Not that I would want him in any case ).

Good..

(and good)

If there’s one thing that Nige has going for him it’s his bouncebackability. I’m expecting a win tonight and the return of some togetherness between fans and players. I know for certain those that travel will be out for a good time and will get behind the team. Dare I say it, we’re happier away from home. 

On 26/12/2022 at 11:23, Taunton_BCFC said:

Go get him!! Total rebuild needed at this club! If we go down we go down! A decent league one campaign could ignite the club! 

No thanks. He’s on a downward trajectory. Too much of a gamble.

3 hours ago, Phileas Fogg said:

True. It's quite an interesting situation. I don't think Cotterill could've done the restructuring as effectively but likewise if the roles were reversed, I don't think SO'D could have joined the club when Cotterill did and achieved such an emphatic promotion. 

Agreed. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that SOD went on to a coaching role (again, if my memory serves..) and Cotts is the better manager. He still had so much to do. He made that crop believe in themselves and turned Aden Flint into Lionel effing Messi by the end of the season. What a year that was. As a side note, I for one haven’t given enough credit to Cotts’ coaches at the time.

1 hour ago, Phileas Fogg said:

I think it's just normal - young players are often inconsistent. Semenyo has had an unusual few months and almost definitely was (whether intentional or subconscious) trying to ensure he didn't get injured for the world cup. 

Yeah, you’d like to think these players have enough experience and maturity around them to not get sucked in by the money. Personally, think Semenyo deserves a start but perhaps needs a couple of starts to find his form. The mere thought of him and Conway “clicking” is very exciting. 

11 minutes ago, Bristol Oil Services said:

23rd in L1?

I’m sure you are correct. With a squad that should have been way above that. The similarities are endless.

7 hours ago, Mendip City said:

How long did it take Steve Cotterill to turn around the culture of a relegated club that looked heading for a second relegation? No time at all, pointing the right direction immediately and promoted a year on.

IIRC Cotts inherited a massively restructured club courtesy of SODs reforms. SOD was a victim of his own transition. I don’t want to take any credit from Cotts but he caught us at the right time. 

3 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Which was the point of the thread.

 

I know, I fell for the click bait but not bitter about it. In fact, I appreciate it, made me think for a second. 

6 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

@TomF

@phantom

please can you change the thread title to something else - e.g. if Nige was sacked…or merge it with the others.

 

No leave it. It’s fair to say this is the reality if he were to “go” right away. 

21 hours ago, pongo88 said:

He scored 8 goals in 31 matches last season which is hardly a goal a game. (admittedly some were sub appearances). I’m not saying he’s a bad player, as he also provides lots of assists, just his value is not as high as some people say. 

You’re right his stats aren’t as good as a goal a game, I should have looked this up. He did score 1 in 3 in the 2nd half of last season and that was more my point, I think that’s where the hysteria came from. It took him ages to get going. 9 of his 12 assists last year were also in the 2nd half of the season. 

7 hours ago, pongo88 said:

I always thought the high transfer valuation placed on Semenyo by various forum members was rather optimistic. He’s always had potential, but you need more than potential to attract a really big bid. Since he returned to City from Newport, as a goal scorer, he’s really only had periods when he looked good. At other times he’s lacked composure.  Over his career he’s scored a goal approx every 7 games. His benefit to the team is often the assists he provides. I’m sure he will attract bid(s) from the Premier League but they will be on the basis of an expensive punt in the expectation that potential can be developed into consistency. 

Yeah 1 goal in 7 doesn’t do him justice. We played him for something like 50 games and he scored very little. Then he had that run last season where he was getting at least a goal a game and that’s where all the  excitement was coming from. IMO he needs more games now in the staring XI to find that form again. Knowing our luck he’ll start scoring again just before the World Cup. 

2 hours ago, Curr Avon said:

True. I want Pearson to succeed, but I'm flabbergasted why he can inspire the team to play attractive attacking football against the likes of Blackburn and Norwich, then revert to a clueless mess against Reading, Birmingham and Millwall. 

 

Naismith

4 hours ago, PFree said:

We all know we are in deep shit financially and gradually working our way through a very difficult period before we can invest once again in the team.

We have a lot of freebies and more players heading out of contract too, transition absolutely applies to us.

Its an emotional game though, and after a great away win at West Brom, we return to ground today with a real bump.

My point though is that despite a real lack consistency, we are ahead of a lot of much bigger clubs, many with significant history including time in the Premiership? Contentious but Sunderland, Watford, Stoke, Middlesbrough, West Brom, Ipswich, Derby, Sheffield Wednesday etc., you can argue many should be well ahead of us.

After last season, a top half finish for me would be real progress, okay 12th at the moment but despite everything that has gone on, when we clear more who don’t want to be here, we can build again?

Hard after today but stay with it, we will get there...

Great post. Be careful though because you may get accused of happy clapping :laugh:.

I said in the match day thread I believe that Pearson is essential to the ongoing development of our younger players and  the longer term aspirations of our club. Those that make the team are learning and growing stronger game by game. 

Up the City.