Numero Uno

I didn’t think we were shit at all WITH the ball but football is also played without the bastard and that is where we were exceptionally poor today.

Plenty of time to sort it out BUT defensively that was as bad as anything I’ve seen in years.

Did you see the game? I would guess not tbh. My reasoned view on what I saw is we are a pacy defender and decent defensive midfield player away from being competitive. Going forward we looked very decent. However defend like that most weeks and you lose most weeks. It’s that simple.

We all know Vyner is a stop gap but more concerning for me was Naismith didn’t even look that level.

We desperately need some pace at the back otherwise two goal plus per game conceded won’t go away.

To be fair he was the best of a terrible back three first half but then reverted to type. The kid just cannot concentrate at this level. As for Naismith, shouts a lot, claps his hands, points here there and everywhere, nice left peg but he forgot he’s in the side to DEFEND. Obviously we have to give him a few games but his performance was shambolic today.

Obviously but nobody was parting with 30 sheets to watch the ball bounce over your foot.

There’s a simple reason at the highest level why the best possession based teams go backwards to go forwards, it’s because men in teams who see less of the ball have been coached to be shit hot at blocking off passing lanes (hours of boring coaching) and you have to move people out of position. The only other way round it is to play counter attacking football where your main option is to pass it forwards because you are sat deep. When the weaker women’s sides get better coached at doing it their game will evolve exactly the same. Playing forwards with incisive passes for 90 minutes is a lot easier to say than do against fit, disciplined, athletic and strong players. Which is why Man City never bummed us over two legs.

What happens to the girls who reach 18, are past youth football and aren’t good enough for elite football? That’s the area I think needs to improve dramatically if you are talking about a true legacy……in participation anyway.

This is the danger. Lots of rhetoric flying around with no real solutions. If this tournament is not built upon properly properly the game will be a largely elite sport for years to come. The only “solution” the head of the Women’s game has advanced is for Premier League clubs to get involved which, as we all know, means the game will be built from the top down rather than bottom up and controlled by a few based on commercial returns and the grass roots will get trampled all over.

No, it's nothing special at all..............Bristol Boy said so and there's nothing he isn't an expert on. Clearly with the direction of travel the football club has undertaken over the last 3-4 years we should be filling up with a further 10K locked outside, Gas style, and anything less makes us a poorly supported club.

This is spot on tbh. The women need to attract their own regular fanbase to watch their own brand of football. That’s how the numbers will increase from National League attendance levels. Speaking from a personal view I have family and work commitments that allow me to watch BCFC but if you then add in going to BCFC Women’s games it’s just not viable for me and I’m sure many others (the vast majority imo) to commit the time and money to do both. My money, my choice is to watch Mens football. That’s an inconvenient issue that cannot be ignored and the BBC banging a drum won’t change it. The other huge advantage men’s football in this country has is the pyramid system that has built up over a hundred years. Tens if not hundreds of thousands of blokes play at all levels from EPL to barely able to pass a ball 25 yards level on a Saturday and Sunday whereas everything being spoken of womens football is about kids and elite level, nothing in between. That will need sorting out big time, if the interest is there that is, for the game to grow to even 25% of the mens game in the long term. If the powers that be just sit back and EXPECT the game to grow based on a fantastic tournament win for England which we all enjoyed they will be disappointed. Sponsorship, investment and attendance will always be based on demand and interest in the product being put out there ultimately.

It's a very simple argument though - when these women have 50K watching them every week their remuneration will increase in line........unfortunately average crowds in the WSL are circa 2-3K. That's the market talking whether people like it or not.

Whereas saying City players "tackle like girls" is not odd in any way, shape or form................

I think the point being made is whilst we all appreciate the skill levels of the players many people don't really want to see the ridiculous diving (imagine if your team were on the end of a penalty decision where the player goes down three steps after contact), the surrounding the referee, the waving of imaginary yellow cards, the shagging each other senseless at corners, the fake injuries, the trying to get fellow professionals sent off, the overt goading of opposition fans after you score and then moaning like a right bastard when one lobs a bottle of water at you etc. etc. It's a pretty straightforward point to understand and it would be interesting if anyone can offer a counter opinion that suggests these incidents ADD to the entertainment value............

How do girls tackle then? I assume with your username you have a degree of expertise? Are you judging our players by girls standards because you personally couldn't tackle Mary Earps in a telephone box let alone any of the outfield players................

Great win and a massive shot in the arm for Women’s football in this country. Very enjoyable game and occasion with no scousers smashed on coke around to ruin the day. Pointless to compare to the men (works both ways - saying that they should replace the men in Qatar is equally as pointless as pointing out the Blue Few would hammer them over 90 minutes). The sad thing for me is that the sport probably will build on this but as soon as they do and the profile is sufficiently raised you just watch the gutter press (who will already be doing in-depth research on the lot of them) do everything in their power to bring it crashing down to earth. As certain as night follows day. In addition as soon as the commercialisation of the game is on a far higher level than now those talking about no cheating, diving, dissent (apart from White and Huth all game yesterday) will have a rude awakening. It’s not meant to be negative but the game is bound to follow a similar pattern to the mens game in time.

If Zane Westbrooke and Trever Clarke walked into his office on Monday morning and banged him out Barton couldn't really have a huge complaint to be honest. Footballers have to be able to take criticism (although many don't seem able to) but when it's that brutal and delivered direct to the fans that's way out of order.

99.9% of refs would have laughed before booking the bloke but not the one that mattered!!

If Vyner had headed that ball away and not Klose this place would be in meltdown.

Conway did have a good chance just before the “pen”. Score that and it’s three points and nobody is talking about mentality or sitting back.

Perhaps have a look at their pen first?

Today it was down to an individual error by a very experienced Centre Half rather than a team thing. Teams get crosses and long throws in late in games, that's football, but that should have been headed away better given it was a completely free header. Lazily terming it "mental attitude" puts a slant on it that simply wasn't there.

Somebody at the game just said their goal came from a set piece they earned on the break after we had pressed them back following a period when THEY were wasting time. Are they wrong? Which one was it, excessive defending or caught on the break? If they are right you can't have it all your own way. A poor header is a poor header particularly from a player with so much experience and know how.

Poor clearance. It was a free header under no challenge whatsoever, nobody near him. You don't head it central to the edge of your box. I do agree that someone was "missing" on the edge too but if he gets a proper header on it that is immaterial.