Davefevs

The opening comments….aren’t these really just further evidence of holding back on an opinion til you’ve seen a reasonable number of games / seen how a team “grows” (can be up and down) into a season. Massive difference between evaluating: - how did we play / perform today, and - what is the trajectory of our results and performances (whilst acknowledging that performances and results don’t always correlate) Both are different things, but get merged with bias. The Bajic situation is a bit frustrating, but ultimately this is a long-term signing. The impact on O’Leary frustrating too. Unless we suddenly hear groans from Max, we’ve got to assume he’s content with the situation. Massengo played left of King as Ian suggested in more of a midfield three. We didn’t play with anyone playing in a “Weimann role”. The 9 mins extended highlights give a better appreciation of some of the positing and play, albeit just the main attacking action. The bit by Ian on Leicester / Nige was interesting. Perhaps looking on City’s own situation, he ought to reflect on how he ignores the similarity when calling for Nige’s sacking…actually Leicester’s situation is exponentially better than ours, but Nige gets no slack! It does show how over a number of occasions calling for “Nige out” has been very petty, especially as he’s saying he now wants to wait til end of Sept to evaluate. Why didn’t he say that after 2 games? Baker and injuries - “we’ve only got 4 players injured” (a positive comment made - noted), doesn’t that again prove the pettiness of moaning we had 8 players out just 7/10 days ago. Players are always gonna be in and out of injuries, we know that with a small squad it can expose us. Nige is happy to work with a smaller squad and happy with the risks of doing so. We’ve rested Williams a couple of times already this season, we rested Andi Weimann too last night, maybe challenge that back. Agree would be good to get an update on Kalas…if there is one. Blackpool isn’t pivotal…good…one league game shouldnt be (not early this season). Agree re momentum too. Team selection for Saturday: Ian won’t be far off with Cardiff Eleven being Blackpool Eleven. Dave - same age old debate re trying to label players “first picks”. We now have competition for places, desire to keep the shirt, desire to push for the shirt is what we’ve been after for ages. James has been injured, he’s just played 29 minutes on return, we shouldn’t be getting too worried about his position in the team / squad, just like Semenyo or Martin for different reasons. Last season none of our central midfielders played >75% of minutes, James play 67%, Scott 66% (of which half were at RWB!),Massengo 59%, etc. I’m sure James will start many games this season. The current “run” might end Saturday! Nige does want to play the type of football you discuss, but the important thing is, it’s gonna take time to build a squad in that mould. So that doesn’t mean casting aside Chris Martin, or Timm Klose or whoever, it’s recognition there is a transition to getting there. Ian might not like the word “transition” but it doesn’t change that you can’t go from the squad we had (zero identity) to the squad we want (with an identity) in one window, or even three windows, especially when you have 1) no money and 2) a culture to rebuild. So whilst we are transitioning expect players who don’t quite fit the end-game to be a part. Funny how Andy King, a “waste of a signing” pre-season (and last season) is helping so many of the youngsters, not just off the pitch. He is not “power and pace”, but if he can help someone like Kadji or Scott (who do have those elements), then there has to be recognition of the part he plays in “making others better”. Ian is right, it’s a squad game (yay x recognition at last!!). I like the statement - “no shame in being on the bench”. Gape yellow on Scott was a yellow, watched it earlier, wasn’t quite as bad as Gary made it out on the radio. Bench is the harder selection this weekend I reckon. Bashiru (Wednesday) - the Bakinson transfer is an irrelevance, it’s done and dusted, in the accounts. Thats cashflow, which Steve sorts out. Bashiru transfer would not become cheaper just because there might be stage payments for Tyreeq. Nobody knows if there is genuine interest anyway. Iroegbunam (Villa) - do you think he’d share enough minutes versus our other midfielders that are currently here, to justify the cost of a loan? Sol Bamba can play in midfield too. Yes, if Semenyo goes, then suddenly we have re-investable money. Changes the landscape hugely. Need to remember it’s really a case of how do any funds received change an annual budget, not just this season, but future years. Watford - plus the dodgy £16m sale and loan back of the guy to Udinese. Lots of comments but I enjoyed listening.

That interview last night showed a player who made the right choice in the summer in joining City. It seems as though almost every championship club would have him in their sights but he chose us. Location obviously important (was living in Tetbury and young family), but I think jumping two divisions must’ve played a factor in terms of going to a club 1) without an established RB / RWB and 2) a club that has a small squad, hence he’ll always be involved. Back in the summer I thought we stood a real chance of getting him because of this. We see with Djed Spence that a fantastic move to Spurs isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And I think we saw similar decision to Kane last season when Twine went to MK Dons as his first stepping stone, when perhaps a championship move looked more obvious, but also potential to get lost at the wrong club. His football has done the talking and he’s now at Burnley.

As opposed to:

Really tough game Saturday. Blackpool are a decent side, and they’ve had a week off too. Hopefully we will see the same good things we’ve seen throughout the season…the things that have started to build optimism. If I was purely looking at results, I’d be delighted to return south unbeaten.

Yep, hence why it’s better to take a longer term view, ie over more than one game. The good thing about Nige’s time here from last season onwards is that we’ve rarely had a long run of losing / winless runs. 4 is the longest, which was last season’s last game, stretching into the 3 this season. He’s always managed to find a win. On the flip side we’ve rarely had a winning / unbeaten run either. Its kinda where we are, good on any given day, not so good on others. Sometimes those will coincide with the opponent strength, sometimes not. It’s not dissimilar to several clubs in this division.

He might be gone by then. I like him too.

And there have been periods in both the Luton and Cardiff games where we’ve struggled to get through an opponents press, resulting in 3/4 passes between Bents and the CBs, before it gets launched. He is also very good if you can get sustained possession in final third, where you can bounce passes off of him.

Often have to get up with Joe through the night, so struggle to go straight back off to sleep. A quick blast of OTIB, I just don't have the words to express how much I like this post!! ??? At its purest level, ie. the eleven that took the pitch has changed a little, but I thought we played decently enough in each of the opening games. I don’t think we’ve produced any better attacking football in the last 4 games than we did in opening 3, but we’ve improved our ability to not let our opponents have good spells too. We played some cracking stuff in the first two games at times, Wigan was a bit ordinary at times though. We cut out defensive mistakes and our ability to not have to deal with spells under pressure (and less shots conceded). We created more chances against Sunderland than Luton for example, and more “big chances” (yeah, yeah, XG shit!!!) in that game than any other league game. So is it a more mobile forward line? Possibly. I like it btw…big fan of a Riley / Neville type pairing. Is it Massengo and Scott bringing energy to the team? Is it Naismith Or is it a team fine-tuning itself “into the season”. I’m sure personnel is a factor, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not the only reason. @Harrylikes him.

Ultimately it’s a squad game (I’m like a broken record). Many factors will come into who plays and how often, and sometimes it’s other players playing better than restrict someone else’s minutes. We are 7 games into the season FGS! I saw last night that Matty James (who was returning from injury with his first sub appearance back) has now had his “squad status” defined for the rest of his time here as “handy sub”. We have a group of players of fairly similar ability (bar one or two at either end of the range), therefore getting fixed ideas on a player is pretty futile. Its a long season, form, fitness, injury, will mean lots of people are gonna have to get used to changing their pre-conceived status of a player as they come in and out. We don’t arf like reading a lot into some that might be quite trivial.

Couple of rumours of a loan, but no sure where it came from.

Bell was involved in training on Tuesday (robins uncut) so I don’t think he is injured.

Drive past the Huntley & Palmer biscuit factory in Reading today.

Nige interview from Bristol Online: aimed at Mark Carter, Ian Gay, and perhaps Bristol City Analytics??? On an aside, he calls it ugly…he doesn’t flower-up a win, nor go overboard in defeat…if we’ve played okay / well.

Said the same on twitter. Highly unlikely to be either of the two Sky tv picks. So, bums on seats I reckon.

Yep, I’d have loved to have seen him make it here, but in all honesty, when was the last young player we let go that cane back to haunt us?

Yes, King sitting, Massengo and Kadji either side but allowed to advance

Owers confirming 3142 as I suggested.

Yeo, tv Freeview 719.

Someone said Andi and Joe arrived at the ground on their own, so may be joining the fans in the away end???

My guess is it will be a bit like the Cov (a) set up. Bentley Tanner Klose Naismith King Wilson Kadji Massengo Pring Martin Wells But essentially more 352 than 3412….but will find out soon.

I like following him on twitter, and congratulating him on his goals. A combo of I know his dad, he’s an ex-City player, etc…so I like doing so. Follow lots of ex-City players like Janneh, R.Holden, etc too…hoping they have good careers.

Nige was right, hoping the next time he’d see him was in the park….Adams Park!