mozo

1 hour ago, JonDolman said:

Yeah probably the sensible move. Bakinson in that deep role could be great if we play well but just because he's looked better recently it's hard to trust him there just yet.

Vyner would likely be the more reliable option. I would actually be surprised if he didn't have a decent game because he rarely let us down in the DM role last season.

Middle of the back 3 the other night he looked classy at times for an hour but then he's always going to struggle in the air against someone as strong as Deeney. None of the other stuff matters when he is that weak challenging a simple long ball.

The decision to play him centrally was a strange one. I don't think many managers go with him there and Kalas right. I know Kalas is quicker on the turn in wide areas, but surely we needed our most dominant, strongest defender to play centrally.

If we can somehow get a decent result (I'm not at all confident!) then we have players returning after the international break. So hopefully then our season can get going with some better options. A point would be very good, but Robins has got them playing very well.

Hopefully Cundy, Baker, James, Williams and Semenyo all back. They're all physically strong players which is something we probably need a bit more of. But also the quality some of them offer.

Semenyo giving us pace we lack too as O'Dowda never gets a game now, and not much else that has raw pace in attacking areas.

Just waiting on King then, but I'm hoping Bakinson goes ahead of him in a fully fit squad, if we ever have one.

I expect we probably just get more injuries so no point in being too optimistic!

Just to pick up on Cundy who you've listed as an option when fit... a/ we don't know if he is capable of playing at this level at this stage of his career, and b/ even if he can, how much gametime would he need to get up to scratch and how many errors could we accept along the way? 

Atkinson has adapted well, but still has some improving to do, which is normal. Cundy, who knows 

1 minute ago, Davefevs said:

If Williams and James are out I think he has to go with Vyner.

Yeah, I wonder if he will. Vyner Bakinson and Massengo as a midfield trio?

https://fb.watch/94Jk_m0X41/

Steve Holland, here talks about Conte's tactics at Chelsea and starts with how they forced overloads. But right at the end he says something that made me think of us. He talks about how other teams saw the threat and matched up the back 3/5, which was tactically sound but they had to do this with only one training session so hadn't mastered it. Well... reminds me of us, sometimes changing to a back 3 but not looking secure with it.

I quite like them both on the left hand side

2 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

If you play for an hour a man short against a side packed with ex Prem players who were already 2-0 up you will always be in trouble.

From our point of view defeats for Derby, Hull & Cardiff were very good news.

Yeah I'm happy with those results 

Weimann is the only one I particularly appreciate and even then I find him frustrating. 

I'd rest the other two.

31 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Agreed. And I'm not convinced Derby won't overhaul us either, unless they get a further points penalty. I certainly can't see us beating them where it really counts - out on the pitch.

Unless January brings a miracle, we're in a scrap with Barnsley, Hull, Peterborough and Preston. Which leaves very little margin for error and I don't like those odds one bit.  

We've got Derby at home on Dec 4th so that'll be a 6-pointer!

6 hours ago, Dredd said:

Assuming the outcome of ‘the project’ is to get City into the Premier League, just how much work needs to be done, money needs to be spent, to get us even challenging for the play offs. 

Looking at the current side we probably have the very bare bones of a team that could compete at the top end of the table in the next few years. Atkinson, HNM, Kalas, maybe Bentley/Semenyo, already look like players who could fit into a team in that position. The rest, nope, thanks, move into squad players as we recruit or move on.

Pring, Tanner, Scott are players in the first team who could develop into those kind of players, we don’t know yet. There seem to be a few other promising young uns but those are the ones currently in the team.

Therefore we need minimum 7 new players to get us competing. And that’s making a massive assumption that we are able to keep those players above and Kalas/Bentley keep at current levels as they get older so it’s probably more. We would probably need to sell someone for big bucks to even think about affording that sort of rebuild. 

I know Pearson has talked about this as a 3 year project, but I personally think that’s pie in the sky given the squad building required and the cost of this. Settle in for a few more years of mediocrity unless these academy lads turn out to be world beaters, because I don’t have faith in our recruitment. Feeling very pessimistic about City at the moment. I want it to work with NP but unless he is backed with significant funds or a top class recruitment team, of which we appear to have neither, then I fear the pressure for results will become too much and he won’t get the time/funds to see if he can see the project through. 
 

I think there's also a good chance that Scott, Massengo and perhaps one other of that group will be sold to a club higher up the food chain. 

That might be good for the coffers, but it makes the rebuild even bigger.

3 minutes ago, VT05763 said:

Reading accept points deduction with possibility of more added on - Fan Banter

 

Will help our cause.

Yeah I'll take that

8 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Very perceptive post.

@REDOXO

Ignore Benarous….2023 expiry.

Out of those only Cundy has the potential to hang around. So that's another 7 gone with Wells and Palmer finally facing their final 12 months at Ashton Gate.

14 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Think it appears that in the cases of Palmer & O’Dowda having seen them in action he is attempting to freeze them out & hope they will move on (even on loan) in January.

We will never know if he would have kept Paterson if these 2 were also OoC at the same time but for all the clamour from a few now my recollection is Walsh (who by the way has done absolutely nothing at Swansea so far) was the one that most people wanted to stay, not Paterson.

Don’t get the Vyner business, maybe he wanted to see a bit more from him in training? Possibly last night’s selection  was “needs must”?  
As a versatile, relatively low wage player, he would have always been in my 18.

I wondered at one time if Wells was being frozen out in that same way but he's back in favour now.

Vyner is an odd one. I know he made a few errors last night, but it's hardly surprising seeing as he's been yanked back in from the cold and thrown into the action against a former Premier league striker.

45 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

I'm quite optimistic in that I think if the right gems can be unearthed...

Time to find another Vardy, Nige! 

Didn't the thread about our recruitment team not dent your optimism?! I hope they know what they're doing?!

38 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

...

If he’s asked Nige to cut the wage bill by £x, tell us.

It can’t just be “words” and it can’t just be “covid”.

On the pitch, Nige needs to deliver more.

I think SL set NP the following objectives:

Reduce the wage bill - on target 

Progress our U23 talent - some success 

Begin to create a winning culture - failing 

Improve on 2020-21 season - achievable, but it'll be close 

Then all of these carry on to the next season.

1 hour ago, Red-Robbo said:

Dunno which is worse, knackered older players or naive young cubs.

I'm with you. I'd rather see energy and enthusiasm than reliable plodder.

38 minutes ago, The Bard said:

My point was that whenever we have midweek league games the knackered older players should be rotated for their own protection and the young Cubs should get a sniff. 

There's probably a balance to be had and I'm pretty sure we're not achieving it.

2 hours ago, OneTeamInBristol said:

What's the point in sending them out on loan?

Wells and Palmer never going to do anything here so get them off the books ASAP in my opinion.

A loan for Bakinson would possibly help him but he would need to improve massively in a short space of time if he is to be in our future plans. 

Well I'd rather sell them but that's even more unlikely so let's get something towards their wages and keep the squad trim as NP likes it.

23 hours ago, Davefevs said:

How did o forget our own Bobby Reid and Pato. Doh!

NP has tried nearly everything this season...but could it be worth going for the double false 9 high press with our current squad?

Humour me... Ditch Wells and Martin and we've potentially got a group of players that could do what Reid and Pato did.

For example, Weimann and Scott as the '9's who press high, drop deep and find space between the lines.

At the moment we're fielding three central strikers and look blunt in attack, so what have we got to lose in terms of goal threat.

We're also evidently not stifling the opposition so let's try a more aggressive press.

No? Okay, but we're getting desperate!

15 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

Simple economics means we aren't going to be waving goodbye to the majority of those on that list, in the summer.  However the departure of any one of them wouldn't concern me, and in some cases would cheer me. 

And the thing which stresses me out is that when we do gradually shed the dead wood we'll have to be replacing them with better players...on a shoestring budget.

The risk is that we end up with a squad filled with players trying to make the step up from lower leagues (or U23s), and we struggle to get a Championship worthy side together.

It will be a success in terms of reducingthe wage bill, but could be disastrous if we don't do incredible recruitment.

1 hour ago, Fordy62 said:

Dasilva, he’s got pace and skill, but seems to be lacking in defensive nause for me. Maybe it’ll come?

But Bakinson, I’m afraid there’s just no urgency in defence. He’s good playing forward, but for me he’s a constant chance of an opposition counter attack when he’s on the ball. 

I know what you mean about Wells, but never seen it in our shirt. And it makes me sick to think how much we paid (are paying for him). 

You've done well there. I'm keeping DaSilva and throwing Baker and King into your Room 101.

9 hours ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

Nige doesn't help the situation, by leaving him on when he's clearly tired. 

My assumption is that Martin, Weimann and James must play every minute of nearly every game, because Pearson is worried that without a core of experienced players in the team, we'll be left with a team of naive young cubs.

We need some bloody good loan signings in January to bolster the squad.

It's all well and good having a small squad but it needs the right ingredients.

2 hours ago, lukebcfc1989 said:

Is not to blame.

And a forward should not be our priority in January if you feel that way then forgive me you are clueless.

No striker would thrive in this team.

Biggest difference tonight the wingers we missed a trick not identifying Graham as a potential buy from Gillingham I remember him starting for Wolves before he got injured.

We need width desperately nothing else should be prioritised but that.

So you think he's fit enough to play 46 games? Or who would you play when he's rested?

In my dreamland I'd like to see us loan 3 players out to bring 3 players in on loan.

We need to find a dominant holding midfielder, a pacy winger and an athletic striker.

I'd like to see Palmer, Bakinson and Wells go out on loan.

I know this is never going to happen but I wish it would!

5 minutes ago, lukebcfc1989 said:

The strikers are not the issue you are clueless sir 

The are definitely part of the problem. All of them routinely losing possession. Wells hit a row z when clean through last week. Weimann in this game. Martin anonymous in most of the past 8 games...

2-0 down, where are the changes?! 

My One big criticism of Pearson is substitutions. He keeps baffling me.

Vyner poor vs Deeney unfortunately 

Kalas twice in a few minutes needlessly puts the ball out for a throw in

Edit, both times leads to an attack