intercity

Bakinson very poor there. 

Was it Bentley or the post?

With better touch Andi and then Bakinson really could have done better.

1 minute ago, steviestevieneville said:

We didn’t start with a 3 though did we ? Looked like 4411 with wiemann doing the massengo narrowing off the right with Pring off the left . Definitely didn’t shape as a back 3 until baker came on 

Yes it was a back four initially. I thought we played quite well first half like that, but was always a bit worried about our left side. Dasilva and Pring didn't fill me with confidence and I think Pring was below par. The first part of the second half was very one sided and once Williams and Baker came on, that changed. Well done to Pearson and the team, it looked like we might fold just before 60mins. We didn't and I thought having that back 3, with our  est defenders, was a big part of that.

And Williams too of course.

3 hours ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

Surely he has to play three at the back in future though?  Baker is too good a defender to leave out.  I’d like to see:

Bentley

Kalas Atkinson Baker

Massengo James Williams Dasilva

Palmer

Wells Weimann

The big advantage of a 3 at the back is due to the fact that the 3 best defenders at the club are centre backs. Our full backs are not at the same level, seen again today. Tanner definitely an improvment on the right, but it must be tempting to play the back three because the wide men are our weakness. I'd like to see a 3 again as it also answers some of attacking problems, seen when Weiman moved to right wing back. Good options to have.

For as good as the first half was, that first 15 of the second half was bad. Williams came on and the momentum Fulham had, was lost.

Williams was the driving force in our midfield just when it seemed we would be overrun. Game changer today. Well done Joe. Big shout out to Palmer too.

8 hours ago, Fordy62 said:

Morning all,

I’ve done a little reading of our greatest ever matchday thread author’s posts and I’ve attempted to write this tribute in his unique style. Truth be told his threads take one of two forms; reminiscing about fixtures of years gone by, or Marvelous historical references that appear to Segway out of nowhere. With history not my strong point I shall attempt the former.

It feels entirely fitting that it’s likely that at a little over 1,600 miles away, I’m probably in with a good shout at being the OTIB member who’s geographically closest to Havana, Cuba.

 

Today’s game sees us rekindle our favourite love/hate relationship with Ken Dodd lookalike Neil Warnock and his Middlesbrough team. 

To reminisce about our fixtures with the kings of smog, I’ll take you back to the 06/07 season. Plying our trade in league one, we’d eventually win promotion back to the championship, finishing second only to a A Scunthorpe team spearheaded by 30 goal Billy Sharpe (wonder what happened to him?)

But the 4th round draw of the FA Cup that year would see us draw Gareth Southgate’s Premier League Boro (wonder what happened to him?). 

A pasting was on the cards as we fell 2 behind to two early goals at Ashton Gate - Yakubu and Malcolm Christie - seemingly irrecoverable, until 50 something minute goals for a player made famous for shouldering the blame in a drunken car crash in Derby and another who didn’t enjoy a short holiday in Reading would score to take the replay to The Cold & probably wet Riverside Stadium. 

This time we’d go ahead through David Noble only to be pegged back by Mark Viduka. The game would go to extra time, and a late Boom-Boom goal would cancel out Yakubu’s extra time goal to take the game to penalties, which we lost 5-4, the decisive penalties missed by Craig Woodman and scored by future Paedo in the making Adam Johnson. But plucky Bristol City had done a job in those two ties and given themselves the confidence to have the consistency to climb into the Championship. 

Today’s opponents are a different kettle of fish to that of 06/07. We’re up against our favourite pantomime villain, only this time managed by our own. Not unlike ourselves, Middlesbrough have established themselves as a championship team, only having done so by coming down through the trap door, rather than our upwards trajectory (although this trajectory is somewhat questionable!). 

I invite you to raise a toast to Hav and all of our other OTIB friends who are now supporting from way up higher than the upper tier of The Lansdown Stand.

To those who are no longer with us.

COYRs. 

What a great idea. Can't think of a better way of having us all remember him. Well done.

2 minutes ago, Dan Robin said:

Yes. Undeserved loss.

we saw two completely different performances, in the 2nd half city stepped up a gear and Stoke held on. Loads of energy from Walsk, Taylor and Dasilva, well done boys.

As a few others have already said, were it not for Butland, city would have had at least a point.

Walsh giving us some drive

Fammy's control is shocking at times, should have done better.

way too much giving the ball away by a number of players, on that occasion Fammy. BCTV commentary awful too.

Could get embarassing

Not looking very good at the moment people;  dont think Bolton will be top half  this season

Looked a penalty on bcfc tv...

1 minute ago, old_eastender said:

Good save maenpaa, but too easy for Forest to get shot away

agreed - way too much time and space on the edge of the box - need more urgency.

poor passing second half - Eliasson continually giving the ball away.

5 minutes ago, Esmond Million's Bung said:

Well in my humble opinion, we got away with that one, we were mainly abject today in what has mainly been an abject 3 months.

LJ who sometimes seems be beyond criticism got pretty much everything wrong today.

Team selection, it was always going to be physical game and he played Paterson who is the softest player on the books and in the middle of a shocking run of form, he leaves out Kelly who had looked solid and replaces him with Bryan who has been struggling for form at left back for a while now, when I would have thought that playing Bryan in a midfield would have been a wiser option.

Substitutes, having made the decision to play Paterson, he takes him off and then inflicts Kent upon us, whose first 4 actions were to give 2 passes away leaving us chasing breakaways and then 2 more passes straight into touch. Kent has been a shocking an unnecessary signing. Djuric for Pack was simply ridiculous, we had a point and he decides to chase the game for all 3 points and it nearly cost us the game.

We got into some very good crossing positions today but our crossing especially when we have time to pick somebody out is aimless.

A point is a point and it’s to our credit that as always we kept going but it has to be said we were lucky in so many ways today, with all of the above and Wright lucky not to have been sent off.

LJ you need to up your game, you got it wrong today.

Good post Esmond. Quite a few things wrong from the start and I was surprised to see Kelly left out, he's been our ray of light in an otherwise poor run of form. On Johnson's decision making, I think the cup run had a bigger impact on Lee than on the players themselves. Let's come back down to earth - if we can do that, we can still make the playoffs.

A draw at Barnsley, that's about where we are. Two great goals, the looping header at the end making Good Friday more pleasant than it may have been. APART from the two goals, I thought Barnsley seemed the better team and at times our passing and positional play was very, very poor. Where was the movement off the ball today? Where has the movement been off the ball since Christmas?

7 minutes ago, Kodjias Wrist said:

Kent is a waste of ******* time. 

is he playing?

3 minutes ago, CotswoldRed said:

It's the hope that kills you. 

LJ is at his level. He can hit highs but I don't think he truly know why it happens when it does. 

this. There seems no way we can repeat the pre-christmas footy; it's like something that happened to us, rather than something we were responsible for.

you have to say they deserve their goal. Where we go from here Im not sure. Fingers crossed we get back in this, but on the dross we're watching I have my doubts.

getting worse again now. Passing and positional play attrocious. 

There is always a danger from our corners I feel; unfortunately that danger appears to be towards our goal rather than the oppositions :-(.

1 minute ago, Dan Robin said:

It's not looking good...

It has'nt been looking good for a while now Dan - alas our good performances ended along with our cup run :-(

Whatever the question is, Flint up top is not the answer. Disappointed today; we had the possession, made the running, but werent able to open Norwich up. They came with a game plan and it worked well.  As was previousy mentioned, the new boys havent been playing and didnt really help the cause today. Pity as we dont have many options at the moment. Striker to come in?