The Games That Got Away (Cotts Demise)

[mozo]

So what led to the demise of a heroic manager? Well, here are the games that we inexplicably didn’t get the win or draw that we so dearly needed. [City fans of a sensitive nature or susceptible to depression should stop reading now.]

Aug 15   City 2-4 Brentford

2-1 up after 23 minutes and looking the better side, Luke Freeman was sent off with a reckless challenge and a winning score soon became a hefty defeat. But you can take it because 10 v 11 is impossible for us at this level.

Sept 15   Preston 1-1 City

City dominated the game and it was an unlikely goal from Kilkenny that put us a goal behind. Incessant pressure finally paid off and Wilbraham scored in the 81^st minute. City bombarded Preston but somehow the winner eluded them. We took heart from the performance but should have won.

Sept 26   Ipswich 2-2 City

Goals from Freeman and Kodjia put City in the lead and a determined rearguard action lasted until the 86^th minute. Fraser scored and City had lost a winning position against a frontrunner. We were encouraged by the result but disappointed not to hold on.

Oct 3   City 1-1 MK Dons

Not a great game, but City took the lead early on and were the better side until half-time. Then the second half started and City crumbled. MK dictated the play and caused a few scares. Then, in the fourth minute of stoppage time we conceded. It was a game that we needed to win and a big blow.

Oct 20   Brighton 2-1 City

Away to the tope team, we took the lead early on and more than matched them first half. When Brighton equalised early in the second half we had to hang on. In the 82^nd minute, substitute Zamora scored the winner.

Oct 26   Cardiff 0 – 0 City

I’ll put this in because we dominated the game and had the Sky pundits purring at our performance. It came to no more than a point though and Cardiff almost grabbed a winner late on.

Dec 26   City 1 – 1 Charlton

A must win game and City took the lead just before half time. There were a host of opportunities to put the game to bed, including a missed penalty, but the curse of the equaliser haunted us again with a hugely demoralising Lennon goal in the fourth minute of injury time. Devastating.

Jan 2   Reading 1-0 City

City rarely threatened and an away win was unlikely but it appeared to be a much needed point in a tricky fixture until an injury time Blackman goal gave Reading the win. A sense of here-we-go-again.

Jan 12   City 1 – 2 Preston

This is a game that we knew City had to win. After all, we were at home to a team that we sprinted past in the title race finish last season, but had slipped behind so far in the Championship. We didn’t perform and fell behind, but Wilbraham hauled us back into the game. All square, we couldn’t afford to lose this game. Anything less than a win would be disappointing… Well… Cotterill lost his job, didn’t he.

 

I make that 16 points lost from positions of power. At the very least we had the potential to be mid-table, but something was lacking. What was? Was it tactical? Fitness? A lack of leadership? Where was the backbone?

Seems to me there was a trend, and it got to the point where my response was ‘this is just pathetic’. That’s how it felt; like they had the steel to a certain point but became weak when it really mattered, and Championship teams, we have witnessed, expose your weakness with predatory instinct.

For the record, I left off the Hull game where we were winning til the 73^rd minute. I also omitted QPR at home where we dominated but drew, and West Brom I thought unfair to include.

So we see potential, nice football, possession (at least at home)… But we lacked something that winners have, and Cotterill payed the price.

[Red Army 75]

For me the charlton game was the worst . When they scored so late after hammering them all game . U could just see and feel the disappointment in the ground 

[HoldenBall]

The Charlton game was the beginning of the end, no way were we ever going to recover from that. Especially with these players as they are mentally weak. If we would of won that one game we would probably be out the relegation zone, I know it's just a dotted line for the time being but not being in the relegation zone helps massively physiologically.

[RedM]

For me, MKDons, Charlton and Fulham.

[David Brent]

Sorry, but you can't say losing away to Brighton contributed to the manager losing his job. In fact of the games you listed I would say only home draws against MK Dons and Charlton were unacceptable when you consider all factors. Our position in the match, the opposition, the importance of the game etc..Preston game too.

[cityexile]

Charlton was when it really came home to me the position we were in. 

[arpaul]

1 hour ago, mozo said:

So what led to the demise of a heroic manager? Well, here are the games that we inexplicably didn’t get the win or draw that we so dearly needed. [City fans of a sensitive nature or susceptible to depression should stop reading now.]

 

Aug 15   City 2-4 Brentford

 

2-1 up after 23 minutes and looking the better side, Luke Freeman was sent off with a reckless challenge and a winning score soon became a hefty defeat. But you can take it because 10 v 11 is impossible for us at this level.

 

Sept 15   Preston 1-1 City

 

City dominated the game and it was an unlikely goal from Kilkenny that put us a goal behind. Incessant pressure finally paid off and Wilbraham scored in the 81^st minute. City bombarded Preston but somehow the winner eluded them. We took heart from the performance but should have won.

 

Sept 26   Ipswich 2-2 City

 

Goals from Freeman and Kodjia put City in the lead and a determined rearguard action lasted until the 86^th minute. Fraser scored and City had lost a winning position against a frontrunner. We were encouraged by the result but disappointed not to hold on.

 

Oct 3   City 1-1 MK Dons

 

Not a great game, but City took the lead early on and were the better side until half-time. Then the second half started and City crumbled. MK dictated the play and caused a few scares. Then, in the fourth minute of stoppage time we conceded. It was a game that we needed to win and a big blow.

 

Oct 20   Brighton 2-1 City

 

Away to the tope team, we took the lead early on and more than matched them first half. When Brighton equalised early in the second half we had to hang on. In the 82^nd minute, substitute Zamora scored the winner.

 

Oct 26   Cardiff 0 – 0 City

 

I’ll put this in because we dominated the game and had the Sky pundits purring at our performance. It came to no more than a point though and Cardiff almost grabbed a winner late on.

 

Dec 26   City 1 – 1 Charlton

 

A must win game and City took the lead just before half time. There were a host of opportunities to put the game to bed, including a missed penalty, but the curse of the equaliser haunted us again with a hugely demoralising Lennon goal in the fourth minute of injury time. Devastating.

 

Jan 2   Reading 1-0 City

 

City rarely threatened and an away win was unlikely but it appeared to be a much needed point in a tricky fixture until an injury time Blackman goal gave Reading the win. A sense of here-we-go-again.

 

Jan 12   City 1 – 2 Preston

 

This is a game that we knew City had to win. After all, we were at home to a team that we sprinted past in the title race finish last season, but had slipped behind so far in the Championship. We didn’t perform and fell behind, but Wilbraham hauled us back into the game. All square, we couldn’t afford to lose this game. Anything less than a win would be disappointing… Well… Cotterill lost his job, didn’t he.

 

 

 

I make that 16 points lost from positions of power. At the very least we had the potential to be mid-table, but something was lacking. What was? Was it tactical? Fitness? A lack of leadership? Where was the backbone?

 

Seems to me there was a trend, and it got to the point where my response was ‘this is just pathetic’. That’s how it felt; like they had the steel to a certain point but became weak when it really mattered, and Championship teams, we have witnessed, expose your weakness with predatory instinct.

 

For the record, I left off the Hull game where we were winning til the 73^rd minute. I also omitted QPR at home where we dominated but drew, and West Brom I thought unfair to include.

 

So we see potential, nice football, possession (at least at home)… But we lacked something that winners have, and Cotterill payed the price.

 

Good post.

I think Cotterill failure to offer Wade Elliott a 12month deal OR bring in a replacement has cot us.

He guided our young team through last season. Always in the referees ear at every dead ball and leading by example. Sorely missed.

[Harry]

A series of late goals.  Caused, in my opinion by tiredness in the players as a result of too much energy expended by the first 11 (physical and mental).
Basic errors coming through fatigue of the mind and body.
I would also raise my concern of the amount of goals against that derived from either a) our wing back positions, or b) counter-attacks.
With the system we played, the wingbacks were crucial.  Last year they were good, but this year they've been out of their depth.  Out of position too many times and too gung-ho in mentality.  Counter-attacks have been lethal.  Again, a gung-ho system, leading to loss of possession in the opposition half with all bar one or two of our players caught forward.

[redfieldred]

All season a failure to impose a score line that reflects our dominance in several games. Those mentioned in the post & Burnley at home and Bolton away.  Dominated the game but couldn't find the net enough. Attacking midfield not good enough, not making enough runs into the box, not getting through defences either by dribbling or passing. Held up and caught in possession far too often after good build up play, and not willing to shoot from outside the box. Strikers not clinical enough.   Look at reading at home. 2 clinical finishes taken early before the defence can settle, same with Fulham, same with Derby and Burnley away. Shooting early and accurately after running at players with speed causing them to back off. Basically overplaying has been a big problem, 

[Kid in the Riot]

Alarm bells started ringing for me at Birmingham away when we shipped 4 goals and it could've been more. We looked  a mess defensively and I remember texting a few people after the game saying we'd be in trouble this season.

Many games we could've won but missed big chances: Preston away (Freeman) Cardiff away (Kodjia) Brighton away (Kodjia and should've had a pen) Charlton home (numerous) and even on Tuesday Kodjia hit the post which could've got us a point!

Ultimately though Cotterill didn't use the players as well as he could've done at this level. He left them exposed. He had no plan b, let alone c, d etc

Pretty much everything stems of course from the failure to recruit in the summer (another area where he clearly had no plan b) and thus having a tiny squad that was stretched to the limit.

Just been watching Brentford v Burnley and seen Ryan Woods playing for Brentford - a player I banged on about on here. Eventually moved in the summer from Shrewsbury to Wolves at the end of the summer for circa £ 300k. Just one example of a player we could've got if we'd really wanted to at the start of the summer and would've provided great competition in midfield.

For whatever reason Cotterill chose not to go down that path unfortunately.