SouthS22

Echo a lot of the above. This is a massive game for us and the team have to put in a performance. The wheels are really wobbling now, the vehicle is shaking and we are in dangeer of a messy crash. It was a horrible watch on Saturday, and I was so frustrated by the lack of any cohesion that, for the first time in over 10 years of watching City, I had to turn the game off. To me, it looked like most of the players did not know what they were doing and as a consequence they weren't committed to being competitive. There has to be a reation from the team to that, and I think we all really want to see one on Saturday. Better team formation or better coaching in that 3-4-1-2 (or whatever it is) will be massively important in helping that to happen. Its going to be tense at the Gate, but I hope that the home support volume is cranked up, avoids any of the negativity of Saturday and that we keep it going through the 95 minutes. They are going to need us just as we need a response from them.

Saved 20 peoples lives, won an Olympic gold, sailed round the world, and expressed an opinion that wasn’t a load of rubbish. And all before tea time. Does that make me worthy?

How does it work Len? Do share your infinite wisdom on this subject, you’ll. be be doing us all a massive favour. Do we turn up every week to watch our team lose an d put in yet another shocking performance? I knew I was missing something. That’s alright then, let’s keep backing Pearson because he’s clearly the man who can deliver on what football is all about, week in, week out.

What are you on about you prat. Entitled? 12 months of shit football and because there is some moaning you are making accusations about being entitled? You are having a laugh, or at least you might if you had two brain cells to rub together. Can’t compete in this league that we’ve been in since 2014, and where we’ve won 4, drawn 4, lost 5 this season? Mentally weak? Yawn. Zero technical skills? Laugh. Very questionable management comment and you might be demonstrating a small amount of nous

We might have had 3 but they had 300. It truly would have been a miracle to get anything from that game. I rarely think match stats tell the story, but they pretty much do today.

Well, that was another really depressing Ashton Gate experience. They were on different planet to us but we were also terrible everywhere on the pitch except in defence, with the exception of Matty James who was decent as normal. very strange decisions on substitutions and changes in formation which just didn’t work- why we were playing 3 strikers when we couldn’t get near the ball I have no idea. I expected us to get beat today, but not to get as badly hammered as that - yes, it was only 2 but it could have easily been 8. We have got to get our home form sorted out, can’t take much more of this.

In theory, COD is an important player for us. That’s at least what he should be if he can get fit and start showing some consistency. He is a natural wide midfield player who, when on form, can run well with the ball, beat players and create space and better chances for other attackers his link up play is decent, he can get up and down the line pretty well to provide attacking threat and defensive cover, and he can even chip in with a few goals himself, though to be fair I can’t actually remember the last time he scored. We don’t have too many others who play that role as a natural part of their game and he did give us an extra dimension for a lot of the first half on Saturday before visibly falling off the pace. Not surprising given the come back from injury, but this coming back from injury and flitting in and out of the team has been his major issue over the last couple of years at City. I think he has real potential and can give us really good options, but he’s got to get and stay fit and motivated and there’s a big question mark attached to whether he can do that.

What a player he looks, and he doesn’t even seem to be fully fit yet. Head and shoulders the best player on the pitch today, even if Smozdicss was determined to prove otherwise. Very difficult playing conditions that really tested fitness levels, but sheer bloody minded determination and commitment right until the end kept us going and carved out the chance for the win. Credit also to Chris Martin. Gets a lot of stick, including from.myself on occasion if I’m honest, but put in.a massive shift today and what a great goal for the winner. Take a bow mate, proper grafting performance.

We weren’t at It tonight for some reason, maybe a hangover from Saturday’s massive effort, but the fluidity wasn’t there from the start. Some decent passages of play, but also a lot of mistakes. Awful up front. Bakinson a mistake waiting to happen, COD totally anonymous, sick note Baker broken another toenail, and who knows what’s going on with KP, another of those random performances. Some real positives also though - James and Williams great midfield partnership in the making, defence looked solid except for that single misjudgement from Atkinson who was otherwise excellent, Bents continuing good form, JD outstanding and Pring another battling solid performance. We are just 3-4 players short of properly being able to compete on a consistent basis. Real shame that Benik was in blue rather than red…

Benik Afobe… ***king autocorrect

Could do with a Be ok Adobe right about now…

I don’t think he is, and I don’t understand why not. Commentary just said OLDowda replaced him, and looking at the teams on BBC, he isn’t there

Definitely would do that, but for some reason Wells isn’t even on the bench I don’t think?

He’s already the best RB we’ve got and he showed he could handle it at this level until he tired in the late stages. He won’t come up against much better opponents than that this season and when he can get his fitness levels up he’ll be better for longer. Bright prospect yes, because hes still young, but also should be our starting RB on a regular basis from now. Really showed us what we’ve missed having two decent proper fullbacks playing.

Phew, clinging on at the end there. Great performance though City, onwards and upwards

Great goal, such a tight angle. Come on!!

Can’t say we haven’t had good chances today. Easily could be level, just need to find those shooting boots

Commenting on the game, and what players are doing, good and bad. Does commentary have to talk in the collective now to avoid any possible offence to anyone’s feelings?

Great cross Kalas. Didn’t know he had that in his repertiore

Lot of effort from Martin, but lack of quality

Decent first half, liking this set up from NP. Good to see us play with two proper full backs

I agree, the game does seem to pass him by at times, and he’s still prone to being way too casual. Flashes of excellence, and patches of anonymity. Maybe Williams lacking match sharpness

Great chance for Nakhi, just didn’t sort his feet out. Playing pretty well though, looks a threat

Thanks Bas for this post and for raising your head above the parapet. I'm not sure whether you're right or not, but I think its important to continue having this debate on an ongoing basis, rather than just accept the view that the sun shines out of Pearson's backside. Any questionning of that view on here tends to get derided, scourned and shouted down. There are good reasoned arguments given by some about why they don't agree with your perspective, but there is also a lot of regular excuses chucked out and not a little bit of lemming like behaviour that's based on a decision having been made some time ago that he's the right man and that therefore everyone must follow over the cliff edge no matter what. Personally, I just don't know whether or not Pearon's making enough progress to warrant patience and more time. And its not just a little bit of patience that is required right now. I do see some positive signs - we are fitter, tougher, more resilient (at set pieces at least), changes are made quickly when things are not going well, and there's seems to be a better attitude and more application from the team. He's trimmed the squad and we've bought in two or perhaps three players who look decent/have potential. It's also the case that this is a tough job for many reasons and that there is little merit in changing managers every 6 months rather than giving them a proper chance to make an impact. At the same time, however, the manager role is the most critical at the club and its been a painful experience being a City supporter since Pearson's been in that role. The football is pretty turgid, team selections are based on who the favourite is at any given time and what's happened in the last game rather than any kind of tactical analysis or game plan, I can't see evidence of a Plan B in terms of game approach, and we lack the confidence or belief in ourselves to keep playing and asserting ourselves through 90 minutes. These are some big failings where I would have expected more progress from a good manager, or at least from a manager who is a good fit at our club. Key to success for me is continally looking for improvements, and this is an area where big improvement is needed. Whether that's a matter of time and we need to hold on for a big longer, I remain undecided, but that fence is looking more unstable by the game.

Any rebuild taking this long and showing this little progress is just a really shit job. 8 months in and all we’ve heard is BS from the builders. I couldn’t even see any foundations tonight, nothing of substance at all.