Have We Been Sussed Out ?

[Portland Bill]

Ive been reading all the posts saying where the team is going wrong, why are we playing the long ball, why arent we creative in midfield etc etc.

Last season we took a lot of teams by surprise with our style of play.

Could it be that now teams are taking us more seriously that THEY are working on how to stop US playing the way we like to.

Have WE been sussed out?, and thats why we are being forced into playing the long ball, because teams are stopping us playing the ball through midfield.

Do we need to look at it another way and give credit to the tactical awareness of the coaches of the teams we are playing.

Discuss.

[rockin-robin]

Ive been reading all the posts saying where the team is going wrong, why are we playing the long ball, why arent we creative in midfield etc etc.

Last season we took a lot of teams by surprise with our style of play.

Could it be that now teams are taking us more seriously that THEY are working on how to stop US playing the way we like to.

Have WE been sussed out?, and thats why we are being forced into playing the long ball, because teams are stopping us playing the ball through midfield.

Do we need to look at it another way and give credit to the tactical awareness of the coaches of the teams we are playing.

Discuss.

I think we were sussed out about 20 games ago, thus the reason the results have been so inconsistent to date.

City need to get back to basics. We need to start defending from the front, closing teams down, working hard off the ball, and most importantly, keeping the ball on the deck and passing it around. Thats what the premises was built upon last season and the results subsequently came with it.

We will always struggle against the better teams in this division, but will put up a better fight of it than of late if we return to a more solid shape and basic style of play.

[Red]

I don't think it's a case of being sussed, i think it's more of a case of the style of football we are playing.

With the wide men coming in to so call cover the midfeld the width of our play goes with it. So when the back four pick the ball up it has to go over the midfield to the forward because of the congestion in the middle.

Where we used to play across the park with good flowing football, teams we played against could not live with some of the movement, we used to frighten teams because of our positive football. Now we have seemed to have gone the other way where we are scared of other teams, so pack the midfield, thats the answer. The opposition has a field day by using the wings past us. I think that GJ knows the midfield could be a lot stronger for this league but we have not got that.

So instead of playing to the other teams strenghts, we should revert back to our flowing type of football, as we did in the second half against Donny.

[Robbored]

Last season City got by with a great team spirit and a tremendous amount of good fortune. Points were picked up along way that maybe shouldn't have been. Teams were hitting the post and missing sitters against us at least untill the last few games of the regular season when the luck fianally dried up. It was then that City's weaknesses became exposed and City struggled. Team spirit and good fortune had masked a lack of quality.

This season City have hardly strengthened and its pretty much the same bunch of players as last season. The team spirit may still be good but you need more than just that to stay in contention. With the 'rubs' missing this campaign City are losing games that last season, with the fortune going our way they would have picked up a point or three.

The bottom line imo is that City do lack real quality all over the pitch. We saw at Bramall Lane just how vunerable City are to set pieces and pace. Midfield is weak and gets out muscled almost every game. The strikers suffer because the rest of the team aren't providing the service.

Imo Johnson has to bring in some quality loan players. The current squad has become stale and predictable with not enough serious competition for places. The first team regulars are in the comfort zone and that has to change. The only way to do that is to bring in some fresh faces to stir up the competition.

[A Horse With No Name]

Ive been reading all the posts saying where the team is going wrong, why are we playing the long ball, why arent we creative in midfield etc etc.

Last season we took a lot of teams by surprise with our style of play.

Could it be that now teams are taking us more seriously that THEY are working on how to stop US playing the way we like to.

Have WE been sussed out?, and thats why we are being forced into playing the long ball, because teams are stopping us playing the ball through midfield.

Do we need to look at it another way and give credit to the tactical awareness of the coaches of the teams we are playing.

Discuss.

So hopefully someone will soon suss out that we play the whoosh ball up to a big man, and stop us doing that, and then we can go back to playing football again.

[Tales From The Front]

It could be as simple as this (could be!!!)

Last year we were seen as not to much to worry about, little fish etc etc. It was a bad error to make as the oposition came to Ashton Gate went all out to win the game and left themselves open. City's organisation, fitness and discipline, coupled with some quick incisve passing proved very effective on the counter-attack.

This year we are no longer the surprise package or the west country stereo typed football team. City are taken seriously, teams perhaps are more cautious or look to dominate the midfield and stop us passsing. Thus far esspecially at home we have lacked the guile and ability it would appear to counter that and perhaps strong enough in the vital midfield area to win the right to play our football. The direct stuff may be the result of that.

[Lack of Action Man]

In the simplest of terms yes!

Teams know we played passing football last year so this year they press onto us very rapidly restricting our time on the ball. Secondly the team must know that teams would be wiser to us this year so that could be why we are playing with this new narrow and long tactic.

We've been sussed out big time.

4-5-1 anyone?