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You're the boss - how will you beat Forest?


reddogkev

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So, you've woken up this morning, stumbled into the bathroom, and after peering into the mirror you've discovered that you are now Steve Cotterill.

After recovering from the slight shock, you've now got the small matter of preparing the troops to entertain, and dare I say, demolish Forest in 12 days time.

The question is, what would you do in the next fortnight to prepare for this game, and of course, what team would you play (bearing in mind you've been able to coach the lads, and let's say, you've been able to bring in 2 new loan players if you felt it was required)?

And to make matters trickier, you've had an email from SL expecting us to win the next home game, or the P45 will be on your desk waiting for you.

 

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On the front foot and pretty much ask for the same as we've seen much this season at home, but probably a word to Ayling that he should tone back his attacking intent. 

We're 1 adrift from safety. No need to throw the baby out of the bathwater. Once we're all fit and the defence in tune I think there would be a marked points improvement. I think we are really that close in the games we've played and close enough at least that significant changes and the confusion it brings would be far more detrimental.

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On the front foot and pretty much ask for the same as we've seen much this season at home, but probably a word to Ayling that he should tone back his attacking intent. 

We're 1 adrift from safety. No need to throw the baby out of the bathwater. Once we're all fit and the defence in tune I think there would be a marked points improvement. I think we are really that close in the games we've played and close enough at least that significant changes and the confusion it brings would be far more detrimental.

I would've said this before Saturday - but we've not won a home game yet.  We need something different, something new and unexpected.

Perhaps a 3 man strike force of Kodjia, Agard, coupled with the confidence of Wes Burns (hopefully after he scores a few for Wales).

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Guest WestfieldRed

I'd start by reminding the players that they are more than good enough to compete and win at this level.

They don't need to do anything different or change the way they play from last season, just play with that flair and arrogance that they're better than the opposition.

Cut the mistakes that are creeping in (probably not helped by the pressure from us idiots in the stands) because at this level they are punished more often than last season.

More than anything, encourage everyone to give Jimmy the ball as often as possible, he's going to prove to be Cott's best signing since coming here, and that's already an impressive list in my opinion.

 

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I'd suggest that we concentrate until the final whistle, focus on not conceding and making sure we kept possession.

And get the players to believe that they are good enough, they do belong in the Championship and that the fans are totally behind them.

Sorry, I may have taken this seriously...

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So, you've woken up this morning, stumbled into the bathroom, and after peering into the mirror you've discovered that you are now Steve Cotterill.

After recovering from the slight shock, you've now got the small matter of preparing the troops to entertain, and dare I say, demolish Forest in 12 days time.

The question is, what would you do in the next fortnight to prepare for this game, and of course, what team would you play (bearing in mind you've been able to coach the lads, and let's say, you've been able to bring in 2 new loan players if you felt it was required)?

And to make matters trickier, you've had an email from SL expecting us to win the next home game, or the P45 will be on your desk waiting for you.

 

My cunning plan is that we will score more goals than them

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I would've said this before Saturday - but we've not won a home game yet.  We need something different, something new and unexpected.

Perhaps a 3 man strike force of Kodjia, Agard, coupled with the confidence of Wes Burns (hopefully after he scores a few for Wales).

I do accept your point but for me the something new, different and unexpected was that second half approach v MK Dons. If we had stuck to our normal game pattern I think it would have resulted in 3 comfortable points in the bag and probably another 2 on our goals for column. It's why, in spite of being a big fan of his, I would put the blame pretty much solely on him for us not getting three points on Saturday.

In spite of what he may say publicly I would imagine when he reviewed the game he would accept that. If he doesn't then he'll not have much longer here I fear... and to some extent hope because I would expect a manager to see what was so flawed about having our forward three completely isolated from one another. That in itself invited pressure and ensured they each had a very poor second half. We didn't necessarily need attacking intent, but we needed Freeman, Kodjia and Wilbs to at least have some interplay to hold the ball up. His tactics made that virtually impossible.

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@cynic - re Fielding's distribution I think he is under instructions which are counter productive. Typically his target is Joe Bryan or Aaron Wilbraham, so much so that I don't believe it's anything other than an instruction. When kicking wide towards Joe, or wide towards Wilbs - which is where he was clearly told to stay in the second half on Saturday, Frank has a rather limited target and very limited room for error. Even a slight misjudgement and it's going out of touch.

Most other goalkeepers it seems to me kick the ball down the middle of the pitch or at worst in to one of the channels. In doing so there is quite a bit of room for error because the intended recipient has all the time that the ball is in the air to move and to compensate for any lack of accuracy in the kick.

Whilst Frank's distribution is not great I think there's a good chance it has been made to look much worse than it really is per other goalkeepers.

 

 

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By asking Marlon Pack to ping long diagonal balls towards the penalty area - all of those will come off and the Forest defence just wont be able to handle it, especially with Wilbraham's sublime hold up play and flick on's to Jimmy....

 

Oh, wait.......

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Seems like a lot of the régulars are running on 'empty ' i would inject fresh energy into the team .

Start Reid , Burns ,Robinson .

Robinson in for Wilbs , Burns for Little.

keep the back 5 more solid, centre 3 stay in defence , one wb attacking the other covering the counter further up the pitch.

i'd like 

Fielding ,

Burns and Bryan Wing Backs

Baker , Flint , Ayling

Reid Smith Pack - midfield 

Kodjia Robinson up front.

subs

Wilbs, Freeman, Little, Williams and Agard.

We need energy and discipline.

i obviously know better than Cotts and would expect this team to chop the Forest down .

 

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Seems like a lot of the régulars are running on 'empty ' i would inject fresh energy into the team .

Start Reid , Burns ,Robinson .

Robinson in for Wilbs , Burns for Little.

keep the back 5 more solid, centre 3 stay in defence , one wb attacking the other covering the counter further up the pitch.

i'd like 

Fielding ,

Burns and Bryan Wing Backs

Baker , Flint , Ayling

Reid Smith Pack - midfield 

Kodjia Robinson up front.

subs

Wilbs, Freeman, Little, Williams and Agard.

We need energy and discipline.

i obviously know better than Cotts and would expect this team to chop the Forest down .

 

Hopefully after the excruciating annoyance of the break, the players' fuel levels will be topped back up.  But I like your idea of bringing in a few fresh players.

Interesting looking bench there though, you'll get a lot of flack on here, that's for sure.

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Forest and all the rest of the teams that come here may also want to win the games and take the points;

We need to get it in our (fans and players) minds that we can play as good football as anyone in this div and we believe 100% that we are going to take all the points in this and every game. In our efforts to make that happen you the players will give everything you have and much more to that end.

We are Bristol City, this is Fortress Ashton Gate, now get the hell out there and make it happen.

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4231 

                         Fielding

Little.        Flint.       Baker.        Williams

                  Ayling.       Smith

         Burns/ Reid        Freeman.    Bryant

                            Kodjia

 

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Only aspect I would change is starting with Agard up front with Kodjia. It's the only area not tinkered with and see if it helps take a few more of the chances we create. All other areas of the team have beven changed whether that's been enforced through injury,a sending off or getting loans in to try out and it hasn't changed our ability to create or concede goals at the moment but we still haven't taken enough of those chances. So unless they are concerned about Agard getting injured too easily due to any weakness he may have following that op I cannot see why Agard isn't starting and Wilbs used more of a target man towards the end of a game if we have to.

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Friday night game,under the floodlights,live on TV,always a cracking atmosphere,what more do we need.......................

I'm kinda with you on this.  The boys loved the TV games last season....time to go old retro (circa 14/15) and pick up 3 points

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4231 

                         Fielding

Little.        Flint.       Baker.        Williams

                  Ayling.       Smith

         Burns/ Reid        Freeman.    Bryant

                            Kodjia

 

I like the look of that team.  Solid in defence and, depending on the role of Freeman, more than capable of splitting many a team open.  I think I would give Reid the spot and use Burns in the second half.

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So, the answer to the original question, if of course you were actually Steve Cotterill, was to loan Bennett and Cox, and send El-Abd off to the slums of Swindon.

If I was the manager, I reckon I would've done the exact same thing, player for player.  Would've also toyed with the idea of registering myself as a player.

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4231 

                         Fielding

Little.        Flint.       Baker.        Williams

                  Ayling.       Smith

         Burns/ Reid        Freeman.    Bryant

                            Kodjia

 

Matty Bryant probably a bit of a gamble at his age?

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