Well done

[Kibs]

14 hours ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Freeman was poor again today. He did improve towards the end of the game and put a couple of good crosses into the box but time and time again he was caught in possession, gave the ball away and poor first touch.

There was audible laughter in the Atyeo when he was read out as MOTM.

There was audible laughter in my house, when I read this post.

He was excellent throughout yesterday. Receiving and dealing with the ball regularly whilst under pressure, often getting the better of his opposites, taking them out of the game and getting us up the pitch.

Perhaps you just don't want to see any positives at the moment.

[Lanterne Rouge]

3 hours ago, CotswoldRed said:

It was ironic. Can you not believe that? 

Didn`t sound `ironic` from where I was (around 50 yards to the left) and a lot of folks around me were bloody angry about it. Still, if I, and many others misunderstood this attempt at comedy then I apologise.

[JoeAman08]

3 hours ago, redfieldred said:

Pretty good ref I thought. He actually allowed players to tackle each other without blowing for a free kick. It was like going back in time. I kept expecting him to blow up for fouls, but he correctly called tackles that won the ball every time. Crowd got annoyed when this was against freeman, but he was consistent. Too many refs see hard tackles as fouls these days, not only does that undermine good defending, it makes the game very disjointed and rewards cheating, I reckon that ref used to play in defence! 

I can see that. Nathan Baker had one tackle in particular that was very strong I think on Matt Phillips. Almost like his first yellow against Blackburn but he did win the ball. Just because it was a crunching tackle doesn't mean it's a foul. 

Still think he was just ok however. Some changed calls that were odd. A few wrong ones. I have seen better but I've also seen much much worse. He did let the game flow and made it entertaining. If I pulled his name out of a hat of everyone we have had this year to ref the rest of the season, I'd be delighted. 

[Red-Robbo]

2 minutes ago, JoeAman08 said:

I can see that. Nathan Baker had one tackle in particular that was very strong I think on Matt Phillips. Almost like his first yellow against Blackburn but he did win the ball. Just because it was a crunching tackle doesn't mean it's a foul. 

Still think he was just ok however. Some changed calls that were odd. A few wrong ones. I have seen better but I've also seen much much worse. He did let the game flow and made it entertaining. If I pulled his name out of a hat of everyone we have had this year to ref the rest of the season, I'd be delighted. 

He didn't seem to communicate with his assistants very well, but yes, I agree, he allowed the game to flow and was one of the better refs we've seen down the Gate this season. 

[Lanterne Rouge]

Joe put in a pretty hard tackle on the left touchline which we all thought was a bit Bakeresque but he let that go - just gave a throw I think.

[OldlandReddies]

Cotts decision to rest 3 on Tuesday paid off. Our best home performance for a while and JK looked like he really appreciated the rest. A point was the least we deserved and at the end of the game it felt like we had turned a corner with both the players and fans having a mass love-in. Cant wait for the Charlton game now. 

[Will Rollason]

Thought i might resurrect this thread as it seemed to draw some level headed responses... went down with family yesterday, dont go much anymore for various reasons, and i was impressed with the city boys tbh, we pressed well, we were always looking to play out and most importantly even with our precarious position in the table nobody was hiding.

Yes we should have won and yes it was like a loss at the end but we were by far the better team, thats right , we played really well as a team but couldn't get the 3 points as was repeated up and down the land no doubt....

IF we had been poor or not shown that lack of fear i would be worried but it seems to me that those lads are trying their hearts out and it seems to me that this is the time to hold fast and stick together like they are.

you reds..

[Donkeeebles]

31 minutes ago, Will Rollason said:

Thought i might resurrect this thread as it seemed to draw some level headed responses... went down with family yesterday, dont go much anymore for various reasons, and i was impressed with the city boys tbh, we pressed well, we were always looking to play out and most importantly even with our precarious position in the table nobody was hiding.

Yes we should have won and yes it was like a loss at the end but we were by far the better team, thats right , we played really well as a team but couldn't get the 3 points as was repeated up and down the land no doubt....

IF we had been poor or not shown that lack of fear i would be worried but it seems to me that those lads are trying their hearts out and it seems to me that this is the time to hold fast and stick together like they are.

you reds..

I think people's concerns lie in the fact that we were saying exactly that in August/September/October/November

[Will Rollason]

35 minutes ago, Donkeeebles said:

I think people's concerns lie in the fact that we were saying exactly that in August/September/October/November

Don't get me wrong, I'm concerned all right and there's no doubt we're in a scrap but we are fighting and we are playing well so I reckon we'll be ok, which isn't being blindly optimistic but based on how our team is, on the whole , performing. 

I notice that a some folk seem to think that we are too open and 3-5-2 doesn't work? Well I've watched enough utter garbage over the years from the city in all sorts of formations  to recognize when they are playing some good stuff and they are at the moment and were last season  with pretty much the same personnel.

I just hope that SL and the board stick with SC and that the lads fight their way out of trouble playing with the same freedom and Elan that they have shown so far.

you reds

[screech]

1 hour ago, Will Rollason said:

Thought i might resurrect this thread as it seemed to draw some level headed responses... went down with family yesterday, dont go much anymore for various reasons, and i was impressed with the city boys tbh, we pressed well, we were always looking to play out and most importantly even with our precarious position in the table nobody was hiding.

Yes we should have won and yes it was like a loss at the end but we were by far the better team, thats right , we played really well as a team but couldn't get the 3 points as was repeated up and down the land no doubt....

IF we had been poor or not shown that lack of fear i would be worried but it seems to me that those lads are trying their hearts out and it seems to me that this is the time to hold fast and stick together like they are.

you reds..

We're the typical plucky losers, every game you come away saying the same thing, how did we not win that, the truth is, it's because we aren't quite to the standard and we don't have enough quality in the side to turn those draws into wins. Lack of leaders, experience and we are extremely easy to play against because we don't have any other way of playing.

If you were an opposition scout and you've watched us just once this year you would know exactly what our lineup is going to be and how we are going to line up against you, it makes playing against us so predictable and at the level we are at with better quality players and coaches, this makes your job far easier to plan for.

[Red Grovesy]

Yesterday City played well against a poor team. They played well against QPR (a good team) but in both games they only came away with a point. It's half way through the season, we are in the bottom three and can't finish teams off. As has been said in another thread, we are close to losing some of our loan signings as well. Two tough away games to come - I think we will do well to get more than one point from the six on offer (I will be at the Reading game but remember how well they bossed the game at Ashton Gate earlier in the season). This transfer window is massive for the club. Without some decent signings or loans we will be back playing Swindon next season. We need more points than games played to survive in this league and I can't see how the club are going to achieve this.

[Frenchay Red]

My concern is that if we were getting these results and playing badly, then we might think results would improve if we started playing a bit better. However we are mostly putting in good performances, yet are getting very little in return. Fine margins I know, but it's not going our way and we are half way through the season. The improvement in results against teams around us that most were expecting is not happening. 

[EstoniaTallinnRed]

14 minutes ago, Red Grovesy said:

Yesterday City played well against a poor team. They played well against QPR (a good team) but in both games they only came away with a point. It's half way through the season, we are in the bottom three and can't finish teams off. As has been said in another thread, we are close to losing some of our loan signings as well. Two tough away games to come - I think we will do well to get more than one point from the six on offer (I will be at the Reading game but remember how well they bossed the game at Ashton Gate earlier in the season). This transfer window is massive for the club. Without some decent signings or loans we will be back playing Swindon next season. We need more points than games played to survive in this league and I can't see how the club are going to achieve this.

I said more or less the same in the other thread.  Totally agree with you!

[Will Rollason]

1 hour ago, screech said:

We're the typical plucky losers, every game you come away saying the same thing, how did we not win that, the truth is, it's because we aren't quite to the standard and we don't have enough quality in the side to turn those draws into wins. Lack of leaders, experience and we are extremely easy to play against because we don't have any other way of playing.

If you were an opposition scout and you've watched us just once this year you would know exactly what our lineup is going to be and how we are going to line up against you, it makes playing against us so predictable and at the level we are at with better quality players and coaches, this makes your job far easier to plan for.

True enough but isnt that true of many teams successful or not? So you may well know what the line up is and how they are going to play but that doesnt mean that you can beat them, an extreme example would be Barca- we could all name the line up and how they're going to play but it doesn't make them easy to beat.

 Most of the teams in our division will have a style of play and a fairly regular line up that we will have scouted and prepared for same as they scout us but it dont matter at the end of the day, its about who plays without fear and who gets the breaks.

 I think our style is more flexible than most BUT we are "open" if you like because our manager wants us to play in an expansive entertaining way

[redfieldred]

10 minutes ago, Will Rollason said:

True enough but isnt that true of many teams successful or not? So you may well know what the line up is and how they are going to play but that doesnt mean that you can beat them, an extreme example would be Barca- we could all name the line up and how they're going to play but it doesn't make them easy to beat.

 Most of the teams in our division will have a style of play and a fairly regular line up that we will have scouted and prepared for same as they scout us but it dont matter at the end of the day, its about who plays without fear and who gets the breaks.

 I think our style is more flexible than most BUT we are "open" if you like because our manager wants us to play in an expansive entertaining way

There is no secret. We are not turning good play and possession into goals. That came down yesterday mostly to poor finishing, but on other occasions it has been exceptional keeping ( Cardiff & qpr) terrible reffing (Bolton, Leeds) and inconsistency ( MK Dons, Ipswich) we were the better side in all those games and also Burnley which we lost. Unless we get a clinical striker and another attacking midfielder in the window we will continue with this trend. The problem is not defending or defensive mid. It is converting possession to goals. Have we scored from outside the box this season? I don't think we have. That's a damning stat for the attacking midfielders who seem to over play and get caught in possession, 

 

[Son of Fred]

6 hours ago, Will Rollason said:

Don't get me wrong, I'm concerned all right and there's no doubt we're in a scrap but we are fighting and we are playing well so I reckon we'll be ok, which isn't being blindly optimistic but based on how our team is, on the whole , performing. 

I notice that a some folk seem to think that we are too open and 3-5-2 doesn't work? Well I've watched enough utter garbage over the years from the city in all sorts of formations  to recognize when they are playing some good stuff and they are at the moment and were last season  with pretty much the same personnel.

I just hope that SL and the board stick with SC and that the lads fight their way out of trouble playing with the same freedom and Elan that they have shown so far.

you reds

Elan..that has to be 'word of the day...good effort!!!!!!....