Just Back From The Posh

[Taylor10]

Get the **** in! Absolutely superb and thoroughly deserved win. I'm not going to give the players any ratings because apart from El-Abd they all deserve 10 in courage and desire alone. This is just a summary of my thoughts on the game.

We started off brilliantly. Fantastic tempo to our play, closing posh down and we attacked with a real purpose. Two well worked goals and for the first 20mins we looked like we would go onto score more and win the game quite comfortably. Then the sending off....

I didn't actually see the incident as I was following the ball. Out the corner of my eye I saw Assombalonga hit the deck. Now I don't care what actually happened, the point is El-Abd should not have been getting involved. He should have been 100% focused on defending our lead that we had done so well to get for ourselves. Now let's get a few things straight. Of late some of here have labelled JET things like 'lazy', 'not fit to wear the shirt', 'a disgrace to his profession' and not very 'disciplined or professional'. Well I can tell you now that El-Abd doing what he did shows a complete and utter lack of professionalism. To be honest the bloke is am absolute disgrace and I don't want to see him in a city shirt ever again. Not only has he cost us a goal every single game he has played, he almost cost us 3 massive points tonight. Absolute liability. I don't give a **** if he's a 'tough cookie' or whatever people want to say, I want him gone. Now I will leave it there before I rant on and detract from what was an incredible performance.

It makes you wonder why we can't do that more often. We looked so organised and defensively solid. Perhaps they all knew they had to concentrate more? I don't know, but everyone of them bar El-Abd were absolute warriors out there and made the trip totally worth while. I've not seen that type of desire, fight and determination collectively in a City side for a long time.

Fielding- kicking was poor surprisingly but he was absolutely superb. The second half we were literally camped in our own half and he took a lot of pressure off. Came and claimed some very dangerous balls in and made some fantastic match winning saves. So pleased for him and looked so assured. Possibly MOTM but hard to give it to one after that team performance.

Moloney- quality and did everything asked. Went on some really determined runs in the second half when we were right under it and defended well.

Osbourne- absolute colossus. Real man mountain of a display and exactly why he should be in central defence. Put his body on the line time and time again.

Williams- defensively and positionally first class. Worked very well with Osbourne after El-Abd's red meant we switched to 4-4-2.

Cunningham- had his work cut out and was often two on one as posh full back Little really pressed hard but he dealt with everything well.

Wagstaff- tired towards the end but a very determined and hard working display as always.

Gillett- quality. Worked so hard in there with Elliott when we were down to 10 and kept it together for us. Unbelievable work rate.

Elliott- in times of need was very very composed. Has continued to impress and his positioning and work rate were just first class tonight. Really impressive display.

Baldock- first class. Ran himself into the ground and took his goals well. He has absolutely thrived under SC and I genuinely hope he goes on to be top scorer in the division now, even if I have been critical of him (but I will get to that later)

JET- put in a real shift tonight. Had a really tough job of trying to make the ball stick and was constantly being fouled and jumped on. Anyone who doubts his commitment or 'professionalism' would have seen how much he wanted it tonight.

Burns, Bryan and Pack all came on and gave it everything they had.

Cotterill- now I think we can all agree that he may not have always picked the right teams/formations at times, the signing of El-Abd has been questionable, he hasn't quite sorted the defence or been able to get the best out of JET. I think most would agree on those aspects. However I have to take my hat off to the bloke. We ain't out the woods yet but he has at least installed some much needed fight and organisation to the team. I was unsure on his appointment but we have improved under him and hopefully will continue to do so. I don't think anyone can deny the improvement and long may it continue. He made some big decisions tonight and deserves an awful lot of credit. He got it absolutely bang on. I think another point worth mentioning is how he has got the best out of Baldock. I was very critical of Baldock under SOD and I stand by what that. Even when the ball wasn't being lumped forward to him he just didn't look sharp or as lively as he does now and of course he missed some crucial chances. He just didn't look to want it as much as he does now. Whether he was frustrated with the tactics etc I don't know. He is a totally different player under SC though. He looks hungry and exactly like he did when he first burst on the scene against Cardiff. Not to mention he has chipped in with some crucial goals. SC has definitely got that little bit extra out of him.

A great night and well deserved win. Absolutely massive. If we can beat Swindon we will have real momentum at a crucial stage of the season. It was real edge of the seat stuff second half but we got through it. Well done boys, well done SC and all the fans that were brilliant all night.

Must build on this now! COYR!

[redsince1994]

Totally agreed. Excluding El Abd it was a quality team performance. Only conceding one against a free scoring P'borough team with ten men is a pretty impressive feat. A flat back 4 with Osbourne-Flint-Williams-Cunningham would have quite easily kept a clean sheet tonight. How many times this season could we have said that!! 

[Aizoon]

Thanks for that. Much appreciated.

Mind you, you do realise that if we do beat Swindon, Cotterill will get MOTM, and we all know what THAT means

[North London Red]

I didn't actually see the incident as I was following the ball. Out the corner of my eye I saw Assombalonga hit the deck. Now I don't care what actually happened, the point is El-Abd should not have been getting involved. He should have been 100% focused on defending our lead that we had done so well to get for ourselves. Now let's get a few things straight. Of late some of here have labelled JET things like 'lazy', 'not fit to wear the shirt', 'a disgrace to his profession' and not very 'disciplined or professional'. Well I can tell you now that El-Abd doing what he did shows a complete and utter lack of professionalism. To be honest the bloke is am absolute disgrace and I don't want to see him in a city shirt ever again. Not only has he cost us a goal every single game he has played, he almost cost us 3 massive points tonight. Absolute liability. I don't give a **** if he's a 'tough cookie' or whatever people want to say, I want him gone. Now I will leave it there before I rant on and detract from what was an incredible performance.

 

Shouldn't we all wait until we've seen a replay before reaching conclusions? It seems that the only person who saw the incident was the linesman. Nobody around me saw it, and neither did the referee. From the reaction of the other players, it would seem the Peterborough player certainly made the most of the situation.

 

If the replays show it was a deliberate elbow, then by all means criticise El-Abd for a lack of professionalism.

 

If the replays show it was much more innocuous, some of the posts on here tonight could be a little OTT (and El-Abd could have been unlucky).

[havanatopia]

Thanks for the write up Taylor, very good read.

As for El Abd; For a straight red you would think the linesman must have been absolutely certain of what he saw. The referee has a duty to question his linesman. I suspect we will see a fast appeal by City if the event is considered an over reaction by the officials and if all is quiet by end of today we should reasonably assume the red was deserved.

[kachina]

Five things have stood out to me since Sheff Utd where we were passionless and hapless. Firstly we probably overreacted as Sheff Utd are actually a good team and they were just too good for us, they will go up if they sneak in the playoff make no odds about that. To be frank, I want them to get in this year, as next year focus should be on promotion and we don't want Sheff Utd in this league next year.

 

The thing things for me are clear.

 

Frankie Fielding - Back between the posts and looking composed and playing excellently, installing confidence in the back 3/4 and he clearly is confident about them,

 

Sam Baldock - One of only 3 players to emerge with any credit at Sheff Utd, but he continues to be finding confidence and whilst he isn't a gimme in a 1 on 1, he gets himself in position and he is a handful for defenders and doesn't give up. If he was the fox in the box natural finisher he would be in the prem, he isn't but he's still a valuable asset at this level.

 

Karleigh Osborne - Solid as a rock, and hard as nails, defends for the cause, good distribution to move the ball forwards and not afraid to have a pop at goal, for me he is the type of solid centre back we have been missing and only hope now El-Abd is banned he can bare up with Carey at the back as I still feel despite Carey's age, he is probably our most reliable centre back and him and Osborne will make a good solid backbone.

 

Simon Gillet - Worked his way back into the team and every time he gets the ball he comes with it and he tracks back, worked his arse off the last three games and I sure as hell hope we take him on in the summer full time, he's too good for this league and think this will come shining through next season if he stays, he is a quality midfielder who has really found his a game, now he is playing alongsides someone who is on his wave length in Wade Elliott.

 

Finally and the big finally is our season is changing because of one man's position in the squad, and that is WADE ELLIOTT, he is captain material and I don't care if he is 35, he has got teams into the Premier League, virtually unplayable for Burnley, he has been solid as a rock for Birmingham until fallen out of favour this season. He was not fit when he joined us and shouldn't have been thrusted in as quick as he was, but initially it was only a month loan. Now the only reason he came to us is because he had some of his best years playing under Steve Cotterill and it's no surprise that he has ralleyed the troops for his Guvnor again.

At Sheff Utd he came off the back of a solid game but was our stand out player that day, he has been nothing short of sensational since and he pulls all the strings in midfield and makes things happen. For a small lad he gets stuck in as well and for me the vision he has with a pass, is by far and away the best any player has at this club. He gives the forwards confidence and is the link up for the back four. In Simon Gillet he has a player who is on his wave length as well and together they are bossing the midfield, giving Baldock the confidence to work on his own game of finding space meaning he doesn't have to do a midfielders job which he was doing and with Gillet and Elliott suddenly looking a cracking midfield duo it's no surprise to see Jets confidence coming back and getting himself in positions to change a game as well.

 

For me he might be 36 in the middle of next year, but he hasn't got old legs and he runs like a 20 something year old with a point to prove. Having Wade Elliott is like having a borderline Premier League player in a league 1 team, you have the type of player who gives every player confidence and the ability to make something happen and it's actually easier for Wade because against this level of opposition things become easier for him and mentally he is ahead of the opposition all the time.

 

At 35 his wages won't be high and with SC here for another 2 years, I say give his man another 2 years, he is very active and fit for a 35 yo, and even if he does command a high wage, having a player of his quality despite his advancing years is very much worth it. He definitely has a year or two left in him and he is the best player we have and every game he is getting better. By the end of the season I think we will think we are very lucky to have a player of his quality here and he clearly is up for the fight against relegation so he ain't no big wage charlie looking for an easy time and a retirement package.

 

In Cotterill I feel the believe factor is creeping back in to our squad and maybe starting to come back to our fans, a bit like when we started turning the corner under Johnson , in those days we had a character in Basso who helped our players stay strong and believe and I personally believe Elliott is our new Basso, a player of such talent who gets people believing knowing he can win you games and links the team up well.

 

Next season the foundations are there;

 

Fielding / Parish

 

Williams / Cunningham / Osborne / Flint / Moloney / El - Abd

Bryan / Gillet / W Elliott / Elliott (give him a 1 year extension) / Reid / Pack / Kelly / Wagstaff (I would like to see Pearson stay too, but his wages may be too high and we have a solid midfield now)

Burns / Jet / Baldock

 

For me we have the backbones of a good team here, we need to sign up Wade Elliott in my opinion, I would give Marv another year as cover. Clearly Fontaine, Pearson, Carey will likely be released, whilst Barnett should not have his deal extended to permanent.

 

I think we would then need to sign a central defender as cover. SC won't get rid of El-Abd and lets hope he refinds his true form in the summer, but if not we need cover. Given Bryan can also play full back, in Williams, Cunningham and Moloney and Bryan we have enough cover. So we only need to add one defender and pref a centre back.

 

The Midfield is big and solid enough, the Elliotts need deals , we don't need to buy anyone.

 

Up front we have three options and would like to see Burns and Baldock up front with Jet in behind, but we need to add cover , maybe an aging pro who can be a good impact player, who won't be expensive but can be effective and there are a few about. In Baldock & Jet we have the week in quality we need, this doesn't need changing but we could do with someone who can come off the bench and make an impact when it's needed.

 

So for me, we need to sign up a couple already here and add 2-3 players as cover to support.

 

Our team is only just geling and I hope they are given the chance to prove this end of season form can be carried into next season and that we don't need to get rid of loads and also bring loads in and again unsettle the team. We need to work with the players we've got who in the last 3 games have more than showed they are good enough and they seem to play well for each other.

 

In terms of keepers, Fielding is our number 1, and I'm happy to see Parish as a number two, but it might be worth looking to loan in a young Premier League number 3 as our replacement number two if Fielding did get injured.

 

For the first time in a long time, I can see us moving forwards and we have the backbones there already, we don't need change this summer , we need stability, 3 or 4 that are surplus to requirements to go and bring in adequate cover. 

[Davros]

Shouldn't we all wait until we've seen a replay before reaching conclusions? It seems that the only person who saw the incident was the linesman. Nobody around me saw it, and neither did the referee. From the reaction of the other players, it would seem the Peterborough player certainly made the most of the situation.

If the replays show it was a deliberate elbow, then by all means criticise El-Abd for a lack of professionalism.

If the replays show it was much more innocuous, some of the posts on here tonight could be a little OTT (and El-Abd could have been unlucky).

I agree, the ref thought it was a headbut, all I could see was a flailing arm and some shirt pulling, Brit took a massive dive, and the lino I think was signalling shirt pulling, then sends him off for fighting. Hardly clearcut Im busting to see the replay as I think its one of those pcastions of 6 of one half dozen of the other aandf a little cheat diving.

The ref had a shit first half, and the hugs jet got in the second were a joke.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Thanks for that. Much appreciated.

Mind you, you do realise that if we do beat Swindon, Cotterill will get MOTM, and we all know what THAT means

 

Yep he's probably deserved it.

 

 

[Taylor10]

I agree, the ref thought it was a headbut, all I could see was a flailing arm and some shirt pulling, Brit took a massive dive, and the lino I think was signalling shirt pulling, then sends him off for fighting. Hardly clearcut Im busting to see the replay as I think its one of those pcastions of 6 of one half dozen of the other aandf a little cheat diving.

The ref had a shit first half, and the hugs jet got in the second were a joke.

The ref was a complete homer. Didn't give us a thing all night. JET was giving their centre backs a piggy back for the entire second half.

As for El-Abd, if it was any other player I would give them the benefit of the doubt but it's the type of thing he's known for and with his shocking displays I would rather he didn't play for us again. He's just a liability. Of course that won't happen. Just my opinion. I thought I would have calmed down but still annoyed by the sending off.

[sodburyred]

The ref was a complete homer. Didn't give us a thing all night. JET was giving their centre backs a piggy back for the entire second half.

As for El-Abd, if it was any other player I would give them the benefit of the doubt but it's the type of thing he's known for and with his shocking displays I would rather he didn't play for us again. He's just a liability. Of course that won't happen. Just my opinion. I thought I would have calmed down but still annoyed by the sending off.

 

I'm not saying he's been amazing for us but I think a lot of posters on here are being very harsh on El-Abd. He's left a team and set up he's been at for over ten years to come to a new disjointed out of form team. He should never have been thrown straight in first game but that's hardly his fault.  

He's done ok I think, not great, not awful.I expect him to be an absolute rock for us next season when the team is fine tuned.

It seems to me we've got a touch of the David James situation with the fans(older players are not allowed to make mistakes). Because he's more experienced and cost money he's awarded no time to fit in. He has probably made as many mistakes as any other defender this season but gets far more critism. Willams at Wolves anybody? and then the following game at home? Dont recall people saying he should never play for us again.