JoeAman08

Haven’t seen his posts honestly! I want to say I have seen all our points live this year and remember him playing on most of the good days.

I feel like we have picked up a majority of our points when Cam has started. I could be wrong though. When I think of us and our best performances think Cam has been involved in almost all of them that I can think of

I don’t really like Liverpool but I kind of feel for them here. They have tried to protect themselves best they could. They still have an outbreak. Just happens. Not sure you can use last year’s example of LO to compare to this. There wasn’t a vaccine then and was just unlucky. That said, I hope the EFL, PL and FA or whoever is in charge of the fixtures they miss, don’t try and favour them with rescheduling. If they have a couple weeks of 3 games in a week then that is what they need to deal with. Hopefully not moan about it but we know klopp will. Great guy when it is always going well but a pitiful man when he doesn’t get his way.

I should have known that I was there! ?

Have we had one of those this season? Doesn’t feel like it

The thing is the high earners make the hole bigger. Even if we get rid, and think no one is expecting much in fees for most mentioned, we still have the giant losses to contend with. So even if NP wants to keep his best young players for more than a season or two, I just don’t think it is feasible. Can’t keep all of them anyway. It is a shame we will have to sell to pretty much stay afloat. That is the cost of letting Ashton(and LJ though I think much less so) run things as he did. I think maybe why I am so critical of NP. Keep saying when he gets rid of some and adds some more. I am just not sure there is scope to get the quality he probably wants. It can be done of course but we need to be meticulous in our scouting. If we aren’t almost perfect, he is going to need to get a tune out of a lot of players people here have given up on.

Think maybe where it is confusing. Think in my original post I ended up putting not enough of the performances. So if we can play similarly to the last couple in more games the last half of the season it will get me more on board. I have been pretty consistent this season that we can get more from this squad imo. As someone said, the average age of the squad was 23 yesterday. For me that means plenty of room to grow. Sure there will be growing pains like yesterday but was still quite a young squad second half if a bit older. So I agree there are signs just personally like to see it a bit more to finish the season. And for me isn’t necessarily a points thing either. We could get 25-30 points the second half of the season which would be less to same amount. If we perform a bit more consistently I’d view it as momentum for next season.

If they can do it against a good QPR side and another half against a solid top half Millwall, why can’t they take that into the next few or at least 3-4 times out of the next 5? The players aren’t awful. Perhaps not pieced together well but found a good mix last couple. Not saying we should see it at that level or better the entire rest of the season but that we should see this more often than we did the first half of the season. Maybe situation was wrong word. Just not sure why he didn’t play when on bench but played Towler who was at conference level a few weeks ago.

Not at all. I am looking for a style that most successful sides possess. Be it a high pressing side who forces opposition into mistakes in their half. Or a more creative possession based side. Not only do we not do both I am not sure what players we have who could adapt to one of those. Which is why I have said I want to see more tactically from NP. Think he has done a good job coping with having to lose so many players and having basically nothing to replace them. Now I want to see more on the pitch. The last two a good step but would like to see us show a bit of consistency and see if we can get a little run going at some point. Haven’t considered anything because I am not sure. Just seemed strange for Towler to start and Atkinson be available and not get a minute. Hopefully is something as you said but NP has singled him out recently and I do not recall much treatment like that for anyone else.

I am still not convinced by NP. Last couple of games have been better and personnel play a part in what we can realistically expect in a game. I still feel we haven’t seen the type of performances that will give me hope of a playoff push when we get the players in. Or should I say enough of the performances as 3 out of the last 4 halves have been respectable in an attacking sense. That said, I think it has been enough to continue with him. I understand the task he has been asked to oversee and it isn’t easy. Think to be convinced he needs to keep us comfortably clear of the relegation spots this season which should be relatively simple considering Derby and Barnsley. Then going to want to see a big improvement the first half of next season. The Atkinson situation worries me as we aren’t in the position to get a 1.2m signing wrong. Hopefully it was just to send a message or something simple.

Way too early to be comfortable. We have played 2-3 more than most below us. Depending on those games in hand we could be as low as 19th and 5 points above Peterborough. Obviously very unlikely but that is how close it could be after only 2 games and us not playing. I think Barnsley are probably doomed. Derby doing well but still a tough ask to pick up 30-35 points in 20 games for them. Peterborough I think could catch some form and make that last spot interesting. I disagree with people saying 40 or even less! I have 45 in my mind as being probably good enough. 48 almost 100% at this point. So 18 points from 21 games. Very achievable but I still feel like this team has a fragility and it could go south quickly. I think we are likely to be alright. It is just too early for me to relax is all. Our defence concerns me. We are surprisingly ok at scoring goals but not sure I trust they’ll continue enough to keep us up on their own. Fulham away, a derby at home and Luton away next 3. If we could get 3-4 points from them to pretty much end the month it would go a long way.

Anyone have thoughts on their possible red card for handball/last man in second half? Looked clear where I was or did Antoine actually foul him? Haven’t seen it mentioned. We don’t seem to get any luck on those sorts of things. It is a take I just can’t wrap my head around. He is causing opposition so many problems and has directly contributed to 4 goals in those 5 games. Not to mention was responsible for the winning goal without getting the assist. Also the chance he didn’t take in the first half isn’t even a shot for our other strikers as they don’t have the pace or the power. I can only see the goals going up with more time played there. Also, we aren’t trying to be a playoff team this season so it is even more perfect to keep him there so we can make a decision more accurately about whether that is where he should play going forward.

Putting him in the 2 was crazy for me too. As you say, no shame in having a poor game at his age and experience. Think converted midfielder too so has work to do to be a defender. Not 100% convinced he can make it at this level though.

I agree about the wide bit. Didn’t enjoy his performance there in the first half as he often wasn’t there! Think maybe their first goal is avoidable if he was in position. Anyway, I am not his biggest fan, but can’t argue the goal return. Important goals often too. I think I’d play him up front with 3 at the back partnered with Semenyo(who is just as vital imo). Think get the best out of him there.

Maybe QPR is a bad example because get the pen it is 2-0 and at worst is 2-1 at HT. Although that changes the game and we may not concede. But generally you are correct. Seen us go 1-0 up a few times and we can’t ever get that crucial second.

The issue has never been the sales. As a matter of fact the sales are the only good thing brought to the table by Ashton. And with hindsight, the daft market did most of that work for him. I’d even say recruitment wasn’t awful. I think we probably picked up useful players for the most part. The main issue was they were signings from all over the place and didn’t fit a main style of play. Signed players from France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, England, Spain and Portugal. Some good in defensive sides who soak up pressure. Some good in pressing teams. Then whatever they were good at, we asked them to do the exact opposite. Not to mention playing half of them out of position because they signed so many it was the only way to play a lot of them. Oh well. The damage has now finally been assessed and pretty much all of those sales have been wasted. The scale and timing could not be worse.

Still have him now though plus mepham and cahill. Hope maybe that is enough to let them take the money. Probably someone out there they could take on loan too to cover the loss. ?

I think it would be Martin if I had to choose. Semenyo can play that role just fine. Probably will lack in some regards to Martin but I think more than makes up for it with the athleticism. Like to see Scott central a lot more too. Think quite clear NP doesn’t trust anyone to play lb so think maybe stuck with 3 atb

That one moment makes up for the 20 chances we don’t get because he can’t control a ball or pass into someone’s stride. We’d be better without him playing every minute of every game. Problem is he isn’t often the main striker but the provider himself. This is where he is severely lacking. In the lead up to huddersfield’s second, he had the opportunity to play in Semenyo for a chance. Passed behind him and AS had to try and readjust but couldn’t. They got the ball back and scored on the counter. That sums up Weimann for me. He scored 2 the other day and didn’t help with much else. Which is fine if he was playing up top. He wasn’t though and I feel he was a main cause of Huddersfield playing through us. I respect your opinion on him though. I just am not a fan. If he was just a squad player I’d have no qualms with him. This probably sums Weimann up best for me.

Couldn’t agree more.

I’d be over the moon if we got a fee for Weimann. He has the goals(only scored in 4-5 games however) but he is dreadful on the ball. Passes behind players constantly. Needs 2-3 touches to get it under control half the time. Which is weird because he has the ability to do the spectacular like the winner against Cardiff. In a straight pick between weimann and paterson I’d have kept pato easily. I like good a good work rate as much as anyone but I do like my players to have footballing ability as well

I think that is very true just think it is highlighted even more by who we are trying to play in there. Injuries probably not helped this but we had Bakinson on the bench and Scott/Benarous at wingbacks who can both play in there and help out. Think we should have 3 in there at all times but for me that means dropping Weimann or Martin. Something he hasn’t done all season.

Correct on the James thing. He is an ok player but playing him in a 2 in borderline suicide. Especially as we seem to be asking them to get forward at times. You could call yesterday a 3 but for me Weimann was more a rw than a cm imo. That said, pretty much all our cms would be exposed in a 2. Massengo could do it but lacks discipline wanting to chase things. Williams can do it but asks a lot from a guy who can only play 2-3 games before out a month. James doesn't have the legs for it. Bakinson too disciplined at times(being nice) and won’t risk trying to tackle or win a 50/50. King think could give you a decent 30 min of it but not a long term answer. Be a tough ask for AS and AB at this stage of their careers as well

Not sure if I am getting your point right but just because we are Bristol City does not mean we can’t get a good manager in. Our recruitment of managers seems to be similar to how this forum would hire. Who are the names available? Do they have an affiliation with City already? Think there needs to be more due diligence in recruiting someone to run this club. I don’t feel like formation matters when people like Weimann, Martin and James can’t be dropped. Not saying they are poor or shouldn’t ever start. Saying because all 3 of them play all the time, it is hard to blend anything else into this squad. 4141 could work but he needs to be brave enough to drop Weimann or Martin in it imo. Yesterday would have been brave to play Pring LWB and Benarous centrally for Weimann. I know Weimann scored twice but he really didn't help Massengo and James at all defensively. We got cut through the middle time after time because Weimann was too far forward or too wide thinking about attacks. We keep killing ourselves with James in a two. Makes him and his partner so ineffective. Not his fault nor a lack of effort. He just doesn’t have the legs in games like yesterday.

Same but we need to progress them as well. Think about how good they were their first 5-6 games. Have they regressed or stagnated a bit? I think their performances(confidence?) has dropped. That is why I feel the way I do. It is all good to get in young talented players but we have to get them playing in a way they enjoy and flourish. What we do at the minute is good for no one.