Merrick's Marvels

1 hour ago, ExiledAjax said:

I'm attending tonight. I've not seen us score live in any of the last four games I've attended.

Got to break that streak tonight surely.

Will Mr ExiledAjax please report to reception urgently - your wife has gone into the labour.

Get yerself home, son!

16 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

Generally I agree with you. The big difference for me last night was a lot more FORWARD passing was evident. Reset has been overdone in a number of recent games, I think that’s been obvious. We all know we have an issue in the final third but there was a lot less “unnecessary” backwards and sideways last night imo.

Agree 100%.

For a long time we've been a team that could barely string a few passes together.

Now Tinnion has decided to appoint a possession heart coach - despite us having few players suited to that style.

To change tack so drastically will take time and new/better players. Manning has had neither, imo.

Yet last night there was clear evidence that the players we have are slowly adapting - especially the defenders.

If we're now building from the Back much more, it's the defenders who need to be a heck of a lot more technical and a heck of a lot more braver than they used to be. Without the defenders getting up to speed the whole system falls flat on its arse. But last night showed our defenders can play that way and do it well, against an above Championship standard team.

So step 1 achieved, base camp established.

Of course the final third needs improving but that won't happen over night. I'd argue there hasn't been time yet to either tweak our tactics, improve our current attacking players or upgrade with new ones. Again, time and money needed for that - ie the summer.

But if we can play like we did against Champ teams between now and the end of the season, add Twine and maybe one more new attacker, I reckon we'll create plenty in the meantime. Forest defender no.40 played well last night - and at times had to.

Last night was a step forward for me.

42 minutes ago, Puckle_red said:

It's possible I just dont enjoy the style of play we are trying to implement. 

COYR

Nor do I especially, if it's keep ball for keep ball's sake. I just thought there was a bit more intent about our play last night.

Perhaps it's an overreaction to years of watching us be 2nd best on our own pitch but we totally dominated a superior team last night, and one that was a bit more "up for it" than West Ham.

Obviously in the final third we need to do better but if we can play like that against Championshio teams I think we'll see more end product.

7 minutes ago, Puckle_red said:

Possession for possessions sake in my eyes. We don't play dangerous balls with attacking flair. We just work the ball wide, play it to the free man then cross it.

I would encourage you to watch again.

We played far more vertical passes at the earliest opportunity, looking to move forward as quickly as possible- compared to previous games. The pennyvisxstartingvto drop with the players, Manning's message starting to connect.

Yes there was sideways passing but it wasn't just metronomic sideways passing for the sake of it to my eyes, there was purpose. There were even times we feigned to go sideways, threw the opposition off, before going up into midfield. Dickie really is excellent.

Manning talked before the Watford game about his style being cat and mouse but qualified that by saying the players had to learn when to go sideways and when to break the lines vertically. He said they had to learn that it might take 1 sideways pass or half a dozen before going vertically.

Tonight was the first sign I've seen that the players have got the message.

From back into midfield and forward again was excellent tonight. Now we need some killer forwards.

1 hour ago, Rob k said:

I will be happy to watch a replay as have only seen it once but from where i sat in the Lansdown it looked to me that he should have done better with the opportunity. 

Ok. You didn't have the best angle then. His first touch, which took him past the defenders, also took him beyond the far post, meaning he had to try and cut a shot back across goal while going at full pelt. Not easy and a miracle he was even there in the first place.

13 minutes ago, Puckle_red said:

I've no idea what game others have watched but we passed it round the back, occasionally got wide only to have a cross blocked - dull. It feels like we are coached to within an inch of our lives with absolutely no attacking freedom.

We dominated possession against Premier League opposition.

Whereas we've spent years barely able to string 3 passes together, relying on counter attacks and being half decent at "pressing"

Tonight we looked like we could play football, proper football.

The attacking improvements are needed and will come. Probably needs new players for that though - so the summer.

1 minute ago, Rob k said:

 He also should have scored tonight 

When!

Second half he made a lung bursting run full length of the pitch counter attack, leaving all our attackers in his wake, the touch he then had in the box took him just fractionally too wide for a clear shot at goal with w defenders closing him down. Would have taken Messi to control and finish that - he's a Left back!

2 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

I didn’t look at it like that tbh. For me tonight is the first game I’ve seen at the Gate where we had a real identity. Yes we need to add quality and goals, that’s obvious, but if we start controlling large parts of games like we did tonight then I can see progress.

I’ve seen us win tens of games over the last 4-5 years when we’ve barely been in control for 15 minutes of the 90. So I’ll take that tonight IF that’s the style and general performance level going forward.

Bingo!

11 minutes ago, Henry said:

There’s was lots to like but it’s not even the best we’ve played this season.

What was?

10 minutes ago, Andy082005 said:

I get the sentiment - but we didn’t have a shot on target 

Bit OTT I say 

We put in a 90 minute performance, dominated a Premier League team with better players, played front foot! possession football in modern, progressive patterns that had the opposition chasing shadows and when we didn't have the ball, barely gave them a look in. Only thing missing, a cutting edge.

But you're not getting much more out of any of those players, virtually 9 or 10 out of 10 all of them.

So back to the league and we need that again from all of them plus Twine to create mayhem or a spending spree next week.

18 minutes ago, Lew-T said:

How long is he out for? I thought it was a few weeks.

2 weeks away according to Manning

1 minute ago, Gillies Downs Leeds said:

We played very well tonight, however we have an issue at the moment where we are not getting enough bodies into the box in open play. A number of times tonight especially first half, TC was the only player in the box for the cross to come in to. Needs addressing.

Maybe against Champ teams we can afford for one or two more to gamble.

Not sure it would have been a great idea tonight to go gung ho and let Gibson White kill us on the counter

19 minutes ago, Shauntaylor85 said:

He played very well but AGAIN, his final ball is not good enough. Will hold him back. Like the entire team, I cannot think of a city side that are so devoid of goals and ideas in final third despite the effort and energy we play with. 

Not tonight. He was 10/10 tonight.

Because Cam Pring won't be a City player for much longer after that performance tonight. 

Well played, every man jack of you. Proud of the lot of you tonight, coaches included. Completely dominant, modern and progressive. Front foot football !

Best 45 in years. All outstanding. 

Mehmeti on fire. Quote, Mehmeti on fire.

Pray god history doesn't repeat with a Nuno Espirito blah blah team being given a chasing only to come out on top. 

Shame the referee isn't reffing what he sees but what he thinks is happening based on the West Ham game, eg James booking was a joke. 

28 minutes ago, redsince1994 said:

 

Anyone got any idea who he's shooshing?

5 minutes ago, RUSSEL85 said:

Chris Sutton - Thank nobody takes this clown seriously 

Bristol City were a little fortunate to beat West Ham in round three but they are at home here and they will be confident of a repeat result.

Don't think he's saying we didn't play better than them.

Just implying that 2 of our players would have been sent off - ordinarily - in the home tie and so he's of the opinion that - with 9 of ours against 10 of theirs - West Ham would probably have found a way to win.

Other than that though...

He can f uc k off. 

I'm baffled by the number of suggestions for his next job when the bloke has just said he's knackered - i.e. he needs a break.

3 minutes ago, Dullmoan Tone said:

The ref!

"Cheering" not "Jeering"

I wonder who Nige will be cheering on tonight .

2 hours ago, shelts said:

Wow what an effort . After Christmas as well . We have so much potential. Hope everyone enjoys tonight 

If we ever get our sh!t together and get promoted - big IF - we'd need a bigger ground.

Unlike another club we could mention, genuinely need it.

Some people would be turning up to watch the opposition as much as City, of course, but the Premier League and elite football is ridiculously popular compared to years ago. 

"And now you're gonna believe us... "

10 minutes ago, RedLionLad said:

and it still managed to leave us guessing

Yeah it could still have gone anywhere, couldn't it?  Perhaps we've just invented a new parlour game called 'Finish the OTIB thread title'.

Round One: " For those who use the Wetherspoons Robert Fitzharding in Cannon Street Bedminster..... "

We salute you??

1 minute ago, Port Said Red said:

Not even close to his own record is it?

The mind boggles