Dr Balls

It’s mathematically possible but let’s be clear that maths is not the issue when it comes to City not making the playoffs. The evidence for that was on obvious on the pitch today!

You mean all the ones that we have lost! We lack any presence up front. Nakhi tries but gives away a lot of fouls. Tommy just isn’t physical. Bell is even less physical. Cornick has some physicality but it’s little use if he is played out on the wing, which clearly isn’t his best position. Mehmeti is also not really a winger either, as he always cuts in on his right foot and can’t cross a ball, the exception being the low cross on Tuesday for Bell. And Knight isn’t a forward at all. A lot of square pegs in round holes. That explains a lot about why we lack goals. The days of Weimann, Semenyo and Martin feel a lot more than 2 years ago…

First half we looked reasonable certainly until Bell went off and probably until they scored. Second half we were clearly second best and the subs made us worse not better, such that by the end they were all over us and playing it around us at ease. It’s the same old story that we don’t play well when sides sit back and we have the majority of the possession.

It’s the lack of a “Plan B” if “Plan A” isn’t working. The only changes are different players in the same system. We were getting done in midfield and had no creativity. Why not add TGH to James and Williams to have 3 in central midfield in the second half? Yes play Wells and Conway together but how about having them both upfront rather than Tommy trying to play a number 10 role I.e. going 4-3-1-2, rather than continuing a 4.-2-3-1 that was achieving very little? Twine was on the bench. If he was fit enough for the bench why not use him? As for Dire, more “oh dear”. There are so many things about him, even before coming to us on loan, that don’t quite add up. And as for his performance, he was significantly less impressive than Yeboah, who appears to have been sent back to the U21s by Manning. Usual service has been resumed. City remain consistently inconsistent and mid table mediocrity appears to be the best that we can hope for. And one final point on Manning being a young coach. Yes he is, but he’s been coaching at some level for 10+ years. It’s not like a guy who has been playing to his mid 30s and just taken up coaching. If he doesn’t know how to change things mid game to influence play then why not? It’s surely something that every coach should have learnt by this stage in his career.

Nope it’s just part of a wider problem that the P&R isn’t used as well as it could be both for the football and more generally at night.

As a former City manager (although the less said about his actual time here the better) we should all be wishing Roy a speedy and complete recovery. Hope he gets well soon and probably best off leaving the “Eagles” to it tbh.

Really annoys me as well because of the times it runs, the Park and Rides are of no use to staff who work night shifts at the BRI or other places in the centre of town. Lack of joined up thinking. As for Tuesday night, a lot more kids attended than other midweek games because it was half term. Maybe the league could try to arrange the midweek fixtures a bit more often around both the October and February school holiday periods. Just a thought - although I accept some might use it as a time to get away!

And where exactly can I watch the test matches during the current tour in India if I only have Freeview? Even really hard to find highlights on You Tube that you can actually access. The ECB sold their soul for TV money and it’s killing the game. The FA have taken the same approach with this. Very sad!

No one could recruit more than Forest. They needed to use the whole of the Atyeo stand to fit in their full squad when we played them!

I think there are a large number of “plastic glory hunters” out there for whom that last statement isn’t true. Plus those who now support whoever there favourite player is playing for.

Time to go “Bazball” then. Tbh Tuesday’s 3rd goal was a case of just going hard and backing ourselves, plus some really good play from the 3 subs. Sounds pretty close to “Bazball”!

Looking at the table, forget PPG and just divide the season. We are 2/3 of the way through. 6th place currently has 48 points. The likely number of points for 6th at the end of the season will be around 72. We are currently 4 points behind 6th place and need 28 points from 14 games to achieve 72 points. 2 points per game is always a standard target for promotion I.e. win half your games, draw half your games, so it’s not an unreasonable target to achieve, ignoring what all other clubs are doing. If you get into the playoffs achieving less than 2 points per game in the last few games, your chances of winning them and getting promoted are pretty slim anyway, because form really matters more than what you have done for the rest of the season just for those 3 playoff games. As per usual in the Championship, it’s incredibly tight for that last playoff spot. 1 point separates 6th to 10th. We are a further 3 points behind. Win on Saturday and things are likely to get a bit tighter again because not all 5 clubs above us are likely to win this weekend. I won’t get carried away until we go on a continued run form (not justbb be winning 2 games well after a 6 game winless streak) and actually get to 6th in the table. The knack is to time your run-in perfectly to have it in your own hands to be 6th on the final day of the season. If we are in that position in 13 games time, then I might believe - but knowing City we would still probably blow it!

Also spotted in one of the reports that the referee was Jack Taylor, who later that year was in charge for the World Cup Final. Hadn’t realised that before, being a bit too young to remember this.

Considering Southampton reportedly paid £12 million for Bazunu and other than that one save when he came out to stop Mehmeti in the first half, did nothing much, I would say Max was at least as good as him, if not better. Interesting as they are both Republic of Ireland keepers. In fact across both teams there were a few Irish internationals last night.

Saw on their forum that Southampton have now lost their last 4 league visits to Ashton Gate going back to 2007. By my reckoning the last time they didn’t lose a league game at the Gate was 1979 in Division 1. So should never have doubted last night’s result. Also a sad reflection on where we have been compared to them that we have only played them 4 times at home in the league in 45 years…

Incredible goal yes but isn’t he yet another one of their players who is a loanee?

If they carry on playing anywhere near their current level they will get the 2nd automatic place easily. My only gripe is look what parachute payments do. Who are currently the top 3? The 3 teams who came down from the Premier League last season, who have budgets way beyond ours. Southampton last night had a number of players who must be on huge wages by Championship standards, plus they can bring in someone like Brooks on loan. Very uneven playing field!

Just love him already. Takes no prisoners, good in the air, and remarkably good with the ball at his feet. So calm for setting up the 3rd goal. Best Scottish City player since… well certainly none of the ones McInnes brought in!

“Rishi, your boys took one hell of a beating!”

They have been found out. They have conceded 6 in their last 2 games against “lesser” opponents. Russell Martin? “He’s not the Messiah, he’s just a very naughty boy!”

At the moment Leeds or Leicester would rip them to shreds. Completely over-committed to coming forward while leaving huge spaces to be hit on the break. My prediction is that they will be in the Championship again next season but will need a fire sale in the off season, when the loaners leave and the parachute payments reduce. Russell Martin has form when it comes to blowing the playoffs!

The ball he swept out to Hayden Roberts on the run when we were breaking was particularly good as it was into space on the left for Roberts to run into. We have been crying out for passes like that!

Yes but Dickie is a sublime central defender. The best we have had since Webster.

Linesman in front of the Lansdown was alright. The one in front of the Dolman looked clueless. And if you had told me the referee came from Southampton, it wouldn’t have surprised me. Bednarek should have been booked for his foul on Conway in the second half but he waved “play on” and never brought it back to book him. Pathetic!

Before Roberts came off in the second half we actually converted to a back 3 with Tanner pushed forward on the right. Subs tonight were bang on as well. McCrorie particularly gave their annoying cheating left back a dose of his own medicine, out muscling, out jumping and generally out playing him. Definitely takes no prisoners and a shame he was out for so long.