Spike

I've been watching City for around 30-32 years so I'm interested in fans who've been around longer than I have, do you think this is some of the best youth we've developed consistently? I mean I've seen much better Bristol City teams by a long shot but I do think we're finally starting to see us develop good players rather than bringing them in via transfers.

You want my reason we have no Plan B, it's not actually Pearson but the players we have. I don't think Danny Simpson was ever a player he wanted, I think that was down to the club and just so we could say "we have a right back", the truth is we have no right back nor anyone who has any real natural ability there. DaSilva is a quality player but the fact is that he's not a right back/ wing back which means as we play our 3-5-2 full counter tactics when it doesn't work we cannot switch to 4 at the back without putting someone out of position. The purpose of a plan B is to be able to switch the style of play to better suit our strengths against the opposition but without that right back we'd only be putting square pegs in round holes. The real test for Pearson IMO is when we have a squad capable of being able to play more than one type of football, the fact that we've progressed on the pitch is a credit to Pearson, the defensive awfulness comes down to always having to play 3 at the back as even the best teams in the world struggle to make 3 at the back work, especially when you've been playing it for so long and opposition managers know how to play against it. It's at this point you'd say "well that's down to the manager" but as I mentioned, we don't have that right back to play a "normal" back 4. If you're forced into playing with a back 3 then you need to have a very strong midfield both physically and mentally but we've got a midfield mostly comprised of younger players who are still learning. Ultimately we can't really switch to playing 4 at the back until we have a consistent and natural right back which limits almost every formation that you can play short of playing a flat back 5 which requires creativity throughout the midfield, which again, we don't have. I think Pearsons goal this season was simply to improve our 3-5-2 counter attack tactic whilst keeping us out of a relegation battle so that we can get a right back and develop more tactical options over the pre-season. If we can in a good right back and maybe add a few calmer, experienced players over the preseason and then develop a tactic to slowly build up our attacks with 4 at the back in the pre-season we'd go into next season with a lot more tactical options, depth and composure. If we enter the next season with still only a single game plan then my opinion on Pearson may very well change but for now I think it's a case of him trying to make the most of the tools he has been given.

I mean our plan A seems to be the 3-5-2, hope they attack us and we can counter them. Forest are a solid defensive team who don't attack primarily so instantly our counter attack is dead in the water and we can't attack any other way as we don't have that plan B we so desperately need. In the pre-season we really really need to work on building an attack against teams who enjoy soaking up the pressure because they are the teams we just cannot break down and this game is the perfect example of it as Forest have us figured out and are enjoying us playing the only way we know how.

One thing I will say is that Forest have set up perfectly to nullify us and we don't have a plan B at all. This isn't just a players issue, it's how we've set up and how we have no variety in our game plan when we are struggling.

I don't understand why when we have the ball with our back three that we only have Williams offering a central pass, it means the second he gets it he's got two men closing him down and we're forced to go back and then wide meaning they keep their shape in tact. We need to offer more in the middle as they're forcing us out wide and then doubling up on us. If Williams is coming to offer then we need another midfielder to do the same to stop the doubling up on our passing receivers as at the moment Forest have time on the ball and we have next to none. aaaaand as I'm typing that they calmly pass all the way down the pitch with next to no pressure and score.

Oh yeah it is, but what a big ask of a lad, I know I wouldn't like to mark Davies for 45 minutes with a goal needed to catch up meaning we'll need to push up.

Commentators saying Cundy has a half to prove himself but imagine being thrown into a game where you've changed formation and have to try and keep someone like Davies to mark. Will be a very tough ask.

DaSilva is being played onto his weaker foot as he's on the wrong side of the pitch for his natural game, I'd say his passing is still better than Massengos despite the fact Forest know to play him onto his right foot where he's not as naturally comfortable. On a whole Forest are pushing up and making us play in small pockets where they are more comfortable than we are. We've had some good spells of passing but they've got us with our backs to their goal and all of our attacking comes from running at the opposition. For all of the complaining about our players they've set up perfectly to take us on today. DaSilva being played onto his weak foot, Spence getting space to run at us on the right because we only have one wide player rather than a LB&LM, Davies holding the ball up well off of Kalas to give them time to make runs. We on the other hand aren't offering anything, Semenyo is being closed down, Brunt is being man marked for high balls giving him a tough job to flick the ball on. Pearson has a very hard job here, short of switching to a 4-4-2 we're always going to struggle defending against Spence, however we have no natural RB meaning we either put DaSilva on the right and leave the left exposed or we play someone else out of position. I'd take Pring off, bring on Bell, have Massengo and Williams switch sides so Massengo can man mark Spence when defending as he's the type of player who is quick and can battle for the ball well whilst running at speed. I think we also need to switch Semenyo to the right side to keep the ball away from Spence when we're counter attacked short of them playing a long pass across the pitch which would give us time to reposition.

I've been saying it for a while now, the lad has amazing technique and ability but his consistency in his passing is awful, he can hit so many incredible passes and then play one so bad that it gives the opposition a chance, he has no middle ground.

Looking at the fact they've had 6 cleans sheets since we last had one I don't think we're in a position to mock them right now

If you've never played in goal I could understand you thinking that but that deflection changes the footing of Bentley and is easily enough to beat a keeper. His reactions have prevented us being down by 3-4 goals, you can't blame the guy for not being able to react to a change of direction that happened less than a second before the ball passed him.

A lot of people complaining about Bentley, it took a deflection and he's made 3 big saves already. We could realistically be 4-0 down going in at half time had it not been for his reflexes.

Our last clean sheet was December 4th against Derby when they were playing like crap. What an awful statistic, not a single clean sheet this year meaning two full months of not a single clean sheet. Can see them getting another from that right wing soon, we're overloaded.

Been coming for a while down that wing now, was a deflection past Bentley but still, they're having so much joy down that side.

That Spence and Davies look bloody dangerous to be fair to Forest, just imagine having that Spence in our set up, Middlesbrough must be mental loaning a player like that out to another Championship club.

We're growing into the game but still look very open when Forest attack, very surprised that wasn't a penalty as it was contact but I'd say the referee was fair there.

Not liking the look of that Spence, if he gets Pring twisted whilst he's on a yellow it could be very bad for us. Also, how many of our corners end up in the oppositions keepers hands, why do we always deliver so close to the 6 yard box?

Pring going to have to be careful now, only 10 minutes in and they like pushing that right side.

Terrible first 5 minutes, they're finding space with an extra man over quite easily and that ball across the box that no-one met could have easily been a goal, not to mention two big saves from Bentley already! The players need to wake up before we find ourselves behind, it's very important that we take the lead today, Forest are solid in defence and if they take the lead they'll be even harder to break down.

Tonight is one game, it's not the first time he's made a sloppy pass that's resulted in putting us on the back foot. As I've said before, I'm not saying he isn't good enough but his decision making at times or just concentration drops. It's all good and well saying let's not look at individuals but if managers didn't look at individuals strengths and weaknesses then they wouldn't be able to improve the players. Massengo has technique some of our players will have, he also has vision that just can't be taught but it's no good having all these talents if you lose concentration at key points in the game. Passes will always go astray from time to time, yes all of the players do it but what concerns me is how often he does it and when he does it. As a midfielder playing with 3 behind him it only takes him to make one bad pass to potentially turn our attack into a 3 vs 4 defensive situation because our full backs play so high. Semenyo has the luxury of being a forward, it may not excuse him but it does mean if he loses the ball there's is a likelyhood of us still having more players behind the ball to deal with the situation, Massengo doesn't have that luxury and looking at his fellow central midfielders they are far more composed in completing simple passes. Maybe in time Massengo will get this side of his game in check but I honestly think because if his immense ability that people overlook that he's still inconsistent in his base game at times.

I'll quite happily stand my ground here, I'd be interested to see the stats if someone can find them on how many passes he's given away this season that have resulted in breakway chances. Like I said, kids got tons of talent and I'm in no way saying he isn't good enough but he's really got some work to be done when it comes to some of his decision making when passing. The lad can hit passes some of us wouldn't see as possible which is what frustrates me so much when he makes silly mistakes that shouldn't be happening.

Massengo drives me around the bend, he's honestly so talented but it's also not uncommon for him to do what he just did there and mis-direct a pass that leaves us vulnerable. That said, another end of the game goal conceded after being the better team for arguably the whole game.

HNM really is a talent but his decision making is easily the weakest part of his game, gives the ball away in the most awful of positions and poor times, something he definitely needs to work on.

That's insanely frustrating, shit marking after such a solid display we lose our clean sheet and now have a really tough last few minutes!

Great first half until the last 10 mins or so which has made me realise maybe why we struggle so much, we're great at counter attacking so obviously at our first opportunity we go bounding up to counter in attempt to get a goal but that means we tend to make our attacks swift and short which prevents our opposition from feeling pressured. The last ten minutes of that half showed us what we're missing, the ability to hold the ball in the oppositions final third and create pressure as well as win the ball back higher up the pitch. I think Pearson needs to add another dimension to our game which is the ability to take the ball up on the counter but keep the ball in the final third and make the opposition uncomfortable, as much as we look dangerous at times I don't feel Middlesbrough feel pressured when we attack, it's a quick panic and it either materialises or dissipates at which point we instantly forced into panic mode as they push onto us in numbers. What I've mentioned also explains why we concede so much, I'd be interesting to see the stats of how much time we spend in our own final third without possession. I think our defenders probably come under more pressure per game than some teams may come under in 2-3. Once we have that confidence to play the ball around outside of our own half and keep the opposition on the back foot I think we'd see our defending improve a lot too as the defence wouldn't be under pressure for such long periods of play.