Dr Balls

9 minutes ago, Esmond Million's Bung said:

Why are they tired?, they are footballers/athletes FFS.

 

Because no one has worked on their endurance training? Don't ask me, ask the coaches. The midfielders should be able to run about 12 km per match, and be as good at the end as the beginning.

Perhaps a bit rich coming from a somewhat unfit spectator but most of these players have at least 20 if not 25 years on me. And they are supposed to be professionals. As is their head coach, who should know their weaknesses, and react accordingly!

13 minutes ago, Esmond Million's Bung said:

Can't agree fully, the midfield back off and most wouldn't recognise an opposition midfield runner if he stopped to show his passport and that passport said occupation midfield runner, as the game goes on our midfield surrender a whole third of the pitch, they are the ones who shouldn't be backing off, they are the ones who should be putting their foot in and maybe even risking giving away free kicks in non dangerous positions by the time they reach our defence IMO the damage is already done and the defenders generally find themselves in a catch 22 position of giving dangerous free kicks aways or maybe even penalties.

What I will say is usually during the last 20 minutes of a game it becomes infectious and my question is why? and even more importantly why hasn't LJ been able to prevent this?.

if Hegeler plays tonight and again at the back, IMO LJ must have a death wish, there is absolutely no need for this at all.

 

They fall back because they are tired. And they stop tracking back for the last 20 minutes. Because they are tired.

Agree about Hegeler - needs to be in midfield. And if Brownhill plays he needs substituting at 60 mins or so. Perhaps by GON so experience at the end of the game.

Hey but what do I know, I've only been watching football for over 40 years!

21 minutes ago, RedM said:

I think he was just ran ragged.  He seemed to be attempting to cover for another player who was no where in sight. It would be harsh to lay all the blame on him as he was one of the few bright sparks until then. But it was a bad mistake by a fading player. Coaching staff should have noticed,and acted, on how much Cardiff were pushing our under pressure players.

Brownhill tiring was a large part of what went wrong at the end against Reading, plus going to 4-4-2 from 4-1-4-1, adding extra work for those left in midfield against fresh substitutes. He needed replacing  on both occasions st about 70 minutes but that didn't happen with the consequences of conceding late goals.

I am trying hard not to blame Brownhill himself because I think there is a potentially good player if he can progress appropriately and cuts out the silly mistakes like the back heel against Cardiff. I just don't think he can do 90 minutes at this level yet & LJ should also have realised that. Considering how many midfielders we have you would hope that we had a replacement somewhere on the bench who could come on earlier than after the opposition have already scored the winning goal.

We have to be able to play to 90 minutes. Until then we are risk of conceding late and losing by a single goal. And all compounded by the lack of confidence engendered by doing it again & again in the last 2-3 months.

6 hours ago, Cowshed said:

Do you think George Graham changed his team by the week?

Do you think he expected Lee Dixon to play LB, LM, LWB, CM and left out in a timescale of a month in the manner Joe Bryan has?

What defensive lines are City playing? High? Low? It changes by the week by the half!

Where is the midfield in this? What line is there to deal with second balls? Two? One? They are often caught between tucking in and pressing/screening. It is uncoordinated.  Pressing is a basic, a basic honed on the training pitch. 

This is inept management of players who have been through lives of coaching drills, talking about triggers. depth, denying space ... Put into a world of soup with a fork by Lee Johnson.

It's comedy. Youth teams ... I am serious can have a better shape without the ball than BCFC.

These are Lee Johnson's players, He was part of bringing them in. He knows all about their DNA for the project!! He is not motivating, and above all not Managing his players adeptly.

We actually pressed really well for 70 mins against Reading then Bryan & Brownhill got knackered so LJ replaced them with..... Wilbraham!

LJ also talked about getting a Cisse equivalent. I thought that was Hegeler but no, he gets put in as a centre back in a 3-5-2.

There are major defensive issues to sort out. I actually like Goulbourne at left back but I know that view isn't necessarily held by LJ. Selling Ayling is looking like more & more of a significant mistake in hindsight. Not perfect but not as injury prone as Matthews & a way better player than Little at right back. Flint's confidence looks shot but at least Wright looks good although I am not sure yet if he is much better than Derrick Williams.

And we need a new goalkeeper. Frankie comes across as a nice bloke, a good shot stopper but he doesn't command his area. I still think RO'D has been undermined this season because he was a very large part of our upturn last season, but he has been punished for mistakes this season, when others have been forgiven & given more chances.

2 hours ago, Sniper said:

That worries me big time to think of a tin pot club like ******* Bristol 'Bellend' Rovers being in the same division as us.

What scares the crap out of me is that tin pot club actually replacing us in the Championship. League 1 is so rubbish this year that the sags after going on a bad run (apart from beating no defenders Northampton) are still within a shout of getting in the prayoffs and we know how spawny they are!

16 years of hurt those ******* have been waiting for this, and if we don't sort this shite out quick it's going to happen. If it does I'm probably going to jack it all in, no point if that happens, so embarrassing, they deserve it for a bad lifestyle choice  

If SL wants to look a prize fool, then the thought of us going down having spent many millions, while the "Sags" potentially leapfrog us when the "fake sheik" has paid out next to nothing, should keep him awake at night & bring him out in a cold sweat.

2 hours ago, Mr Hankey said:

Are you some sort of strange parody?