Thoughts, Confusions, & Why None Of It Matters

[RedYoshi]

Finally, on Tuesday night, I made it to my first live game of the season.

 

Having listened to the majority of the other matches on Player, watched the majority of the extended highlights, and generally tried to keep up to date as much as one can when not attending regularly, I came to the game looking for answers as to why, exactly, we're currently down towards the bottom of the league.

 

You see, the vague opinion I'd formed (based on friends' comments, radio commentary, highlights, etc.), was that we seemed to be playing some pretty decent football, at times, but that this was either:

1. not consistent enough, or
2. not clinical enough.

I'd also heard/read all about "hoofball up to Baldock", or "slow, pointless passing across the back 4", so despite this not necessarily tallying with what I had seen or heard on the majority of highlights or commentary (admittedly, highlights aren't exactly going to show the poor passages of play), I was perfectly prepared to witness too much of this approach.

 

As it was, Tuesday night was one of the most entertaining nights I've had down at the Gate for years.

 

 

Now, I'm perfectly aware that that's not really the matter at hand - most people can agree that we played well, it was exciting, and all the rest of it. It may well be that such a performance was a complete one off, and the fact that people reacted in such a way would suggest that it was, and that their previous complaints were justified in that Tuesday's performance was noticeably different.

 

However - I felt the same way about the game at half time, when we were losing 1-0. I could have left then, and still felt I'd seen a better performance than I had from a City team in at least 5 years. And yet, within the crowd, I heard comments such as "same old story", and "******* rubbish", and other such sentiments. Needless to say, at the end of the game, these sentiments were more or less non-existent. There was a vague sense of positivity.

 

My point is not the "concentrate on performances not results" mantra, I realise people are horrendously bored with such statements, so this is not a debate on whether you agree or disagree with such a view.

 

 

My point is that, despite my overwhelming view that O'Driscoll was doing the right things, that the players were playing some good football, looking bright, confident, and hungry, such things are often outweighed and overshadowed by some intangible "vibe", or "atmosphere", that cannot easily be overcome.

 

And so, I found myself at half time, reflecting on one of the best halves of football I've seen from Bristol City in a long time, thinking "he's got to go".

 

 

That said, it wouldn't have been my choice. It was a very reluctant realisation. And I'm still not sure it's even a correct realisation.

 

But the whole first half was littered with those things that you associate with an almost unstoppable downward trend: no-one able to get a toe on a couple of brilliant crosses flashed across the goal, volleys being skied over the stand, instant moaning from the crowd based on one little mistake, ignoring the good that came before it, and then a sucker punch goal conceded against the run of play.

 

I was just so confused. We were playing so well but we were behind. It was worlds apart from the end of McInnes' reign - the 1-4 v Wolves, and 0-4 v Leicester spring to mind - in that we were actually playing well, and the game wasn't over within 20 minutes, but the same pervading sense of inevitability loomed large.

 

And in this confusion, it became apparent that either we stick with what we're doing, and hope the negativity gets dragged up from where it has become entrenched, or we gamble on doing the one thing that will be guaranteed to lessen that negativity for at least a few weeks.

 

Personally, I'm of the view that sticking with what we had would've been, ultimately, the right way to go. However, with such a clear negative atmosphere pervading the whole ground, there's a chance that it would've taken that little bit too long.

 

I never thought that O'Driscoll would be gone less than 2 days after my best experience at Ashton Gate for years, though.

 

 

In the end, we'll never know, and we've just got to hope our luck changes from here. Maybe, just maybe, the new head coach gets off to a decent start, this redresses the negative spiral, we gain some momentum, the fans are positive again, and we succeed.

 

Maybe it all goes tits up and we end up in the conference.

 

In the end, it doesn't matter in the slightest what we think. We'll be supporting whoever it is, because that's what we do, and that's what we love doing.

 

It doesn't matter that I reckon O'Driscoll would've got/was getting it right. It doesn't matter that I think if, hypothetically, we were to get someone else in who played exactly the same style and approach, it would now work, purely off the back of it being a different face.

 

 

The worry I have is this: whereas with McInnes, there was an overwhelming sense of being united behind the next man, I'm not sure that exists this time round. The benefit you get from a fresh approach may be lessened due to the uncertainty within the fanbase over whether this was the right decision or not.

 

Time will tell, it doesn't matter.

 

But hey, it's all exciting, "innit"?

[Eco]

Well written.

 

Wasn't one of SOD's mantras, 80% of football is negativity, or something like that ?  Anyway, I certainly now feel negative after that sacking.

[fka dagest]

Well written.

 

Wasn't one of SOD's mantras, 80% of football is negativity, or something like that ?  Anyway, I certainly now feel negative after that sacking.

 

Yet I feel more optimistic than in any other time in the last 6 weeks.

[Fiale]

I don't really find the choosing of a manager that exciting.. We won't be told all the people approached, who turned us down and why, those we turned down after interviews, those who applied but we're told no thanks.. We won't know the questions asked, how they are answered. Overall it will it just feels all blehhh.. Just have to trust the board.. Though the last 3 years does not inspire me with great confidence.

[Rich_s]

I really don't know anything anymore. All the names thrown around inspire me as much as contracting herpes.

The club is ran by clowns.

[Aizoon]

I missed the last game under O'D. I had a ticket but wasn't well enough to go. I very much regret that, because it even sounded exciting on Wonderful Radio Bristol

I'm reminded of the Hilaire Belloc line "always to keep hold of Nurse, for fear of finding something worse". I've a horrible feeling that's what's going to happen

[RedYoshi]

Anyway, I certainly now feel negative after that sacking.

Yet I feel more optimistic than in any other time in the last 6 weeks.

 

Herein lies my worry. There seems to be a clearer divide, and thus I'm not sure it will result in a mass outpouring of positivity to help turn things around.

 

Hopefully, I'm wrong. Hopefully, those that were negative before will provide the change, and those that were positive will not suddenly become intrinsically negative due to O'Driscoll's departure. We'll see.

 

I don't rally find the choosing of a manager that exciting.. We won't be told all the people approached, who turned us down and why, those we turned down after interviews, those who applied but we're told no thanks.. We won't know the b questions sled, how they are answered. Overall it will it just feels all blehhh.. Just have to trust the board.. Though the last 3 years does not inspire me with great confidence.

 

It wasn't the choosing of a manager I was referring to as exciting, really - more just the typical ups and downs of following any club.

 

Choosing a manager was more the "it doesn't matter" angle. Whoever it is, the only thing we can do is support them, really. We don't have any direct input, we've just gotta hope, and keep on hoping.