DaveInSA

That was the day I landed back in the UK. Needless to say, it’s all been downhill since then!

I’m enjoying the way this thread has moved from bashing Pearson, to the nuances of formations. I’m learning a lot. My view on Pearson. He was dealt a poor hand. There is stuff he’s done well versus stuff not so good. He steadied the ship but we’re unable to kick on. I think he may be testing the character of the squad. Maybe he’s challenging Atkinson to see what he’s made of. Can he respond? And if he does will that make him a better player? Maybe it’s crude, but Vyner, Pring and Wells have all returned to this team and performed. So is there method in the madness - at least trying to figure out who he can build around this summer. But. He might have overcooked it. Why? Because I think our players (in the main) are fragile and they need to feel comfortable in order to perform. They had it at the start of the season but it’s gone now. We go a goal up in games and then it falls to bits. We’re a soft touch and have a weak underbelly. I still think that collectively this squad is so unbalanced and inconsistent that we really have to just survive. If everyone has their day, we can beat any team in this division. The problem is this rarely happens and we often have 2 or 3 players at a 4 or 5 out of 10. Which inevitably means giving away at least one soft goal a game. The squad is miles away from challenging week-in-week-out in this division - absolutely miles away. People need to face this reality and see it for what it is.

I guess that will be 16 teams from Europe, ten from LATAM, and two each from Africa, Asia-Australia and North America. More of a non-world-cup.

I was a bit worried that they didn't have bins oop North. But good work spotting them in picture 3. A nice touch of including some road workers in full hi-viz

Thank you and goodbye. I can’t stand the bloke. I can now like the Portugal team again. Man Utd - not so much.

What a top bloke. I think we all make mistakes. If they don’t impact negatively on others and if we learn from them that’s all part of life. Footballers have such massive profiles and anything they can do to positively impact the life of others is fantastic.

At times like these, and in these discussions, we need the late Brian Clough. If a player is not interfering with play, why are they on the pitch. It's almost as if the "penalty area" has different laws to the rest of the pitch. At least they seem to for Bristol City and England.?

and what is the most hypocritical of all, is that I believe that "white men" gifted all of this to Africa.

I'm watching this on the catch up. very fascinating stuff. almost 40 years on from Thatcher's assault on Football Hooligans, the very same conservatives are assaulting almost everything and everyone. brutal. and Colin Moynihan, what an abolute bell-end.

I’d love to go for nine pints and a curry with @Davefevs and @Mr Popodopolous. I’m almost certain that I’d be able to understand everything then.

This in spades. I didn't realise HOW BAD IT WAS. Reading this thread should put the willies up everyone. We need to sell our key assets to be within FFP next year. This, coupled with 11 players being OOC at the end of the season (some of them senior pros) means that season 23/24 will be very "interesting". If we're still in the Championship at the end of season 24 that will be a massive achievement.

I wonder if Qatar is the beginning of the end for international football tournaments. The money from TV deals in the Premier league probably dwarfs the World Cup and in my mind FIFA's shot themselves in the foot with Qatar. So what is the point. I'd rather watch City than England any day of the week. I will now rush to get my tin hat and no doubt that England will win the last ever FIFA world cup.

I’m gonna bite too. On the one hand, the fragility of this squad is there for all to see. Without key players, it all unravels. And we’re left in tatters with low confidence, which leads to individual mistakes and poor decision making costing us goals and a lack of attacking threat. The worst of all worlds. In addition, against big physical teams we just don’t compete - there’s at least 6 sides like this in the division. On the other hand, with a fully fit squad, we’re a match for the best teams in the division. We’ve got a Jekyll and Hyde squad and we have since the LJ days. My view and I’ve said this numerous times, is that the players individually are mid table championship players. But as a collective they aren’t. I don’t think this is down to coaching alone, it’s down to the character and psychological make up of the players. What I really don’t understand is perseverance with JD and Sykes, when in those positions they just don’t have the quality. And can someone please learn how to take free kicks and corners. Last night was a freebie in my view, can we compete with our B-Team. It’s clear we can’t.

The fewers.

When I watch Nige speak, I think he thinks that Semenyo is that player. He’s gone a bit off the boil recently, but when you see Nigel say Semenyo in an interview, there’s always a little grin.

As long as unleashing hell doesn't involve actual hell - hopeful hoof ball

The squad does explain the inconsistency. Your opinion that Pearson can't get the best out of them week in and week out, doesn't take into account that we play another team that stops us trying to do what we are good at.

We're mid table. I think people are actully deluded to think that this squad of players is capable of any better. I really do.

And i'm bored of folks not understanding that we have a small number players eating up the majority of the wage bill. And THAT is why we can't bring in new faces and that is why the squad is imbalanced and we're inconsistent. Those are the facts.

I think one of the problems we have with the squad, is that we have to all absolutely perform on the day. When we don't, like Reading away today, we're awful. We're consistenly inconsistent. It's where we are. And it's actually OK. Big rebuild in the summer with potentially 8 outgoing (maybe more), which makes room for maybe 10-12 incoming (assuming we sell Scott and Semenyo) That 10-12 incoming is the bit that worries me. We should have them tee'd up already, with deals to be signed as soon as the window is opened. But we're bristol city. And we'll leave it until september. And our first game we'll have three U15s playing ?

I literally have no clue what's going on here. none. and for OTIB, that's quite an achievement.

Steve Bruce is available i hear ?

I thinks it’s about combinations. The players on paper are good enough for most championship teams outside the top 6. But the combination of these players just doesn’t have the bite and bottle needed. They’re weak mentally, have very little resilience and can’t cope with ‘bad times’. I don’t see too many leaders on the pitch. Who can wrap their arms round players or gee them up. When your U19 player is the senior pro, that says something about what you are missing. This isn’t a new thing by the way. We actually recruited this DNA of nice lads deliberately so we could have clubs in the bag. What Pearson has to work with is no depth either. It’s where we are. Once Kalas and Naismith are fit, surely we have to move to a back 4 with Naismith just in front?

Better than the England premier league, where only one team will win it.

I started going donw the gate in 82-83. And this post made me laugh out loud. Funniest and trueist post I've read for years.