Poor again - let's not gloss over tactics

[Clarky89]

Getting increasingly worried that we've gone out and signed some top drawer players, but without any real thought of how they'll play together? 

No point breaking your transfer record on Tomlin and then sticking him out wide, for instance. Might as well bought a £3m winger. 

On to today, though:

Loved Burton Albion. Great little stadium, and we could make a bit of noise in the terrace. 

Little. Seriously?!? I'm even more baffled why we let Ayling go now. I couldn't of done much worse out there today. His pace has vanished, which was what made him the players he was. 

O'Neil needs Smith in the middle with him ASAP. Think the return of Smith will see performances improve. If we can keep grinding out points in the mean time, then great. 

O'Donnell - 6 - Literally had nothing of any note to do. 

Little - WTF - One of the worst performances I've ever seen. Sorry. 

Flint and Magnusson - 7 each - going to be one of the best partnerships in the Championship. 

Bryan - 6 - Is not a left back. Looked dangerous carrying the ball forward. 

O'Neil - 7 - Solid. Can see his class. 

Brownhill - 5 - Not quite sure what he's suppose to offer at this point. Is he a ball winner, or ball prayer, is he suppose to have a trick, or pace? Not sure, didn't do much. 

Tomlin - 4 - Anonymous. Not his fault, he's being played out of position. 

O'Dowda - 6 - Started lively. Suffered later due to Littles performance down the right. Very excited by him, though. Think he and Matthews will do things on the right flank. 

Kodjia - 6 - Would've been lower if it wasn't for his march winning run and cross, the cheeky devil, 

Abraham - 8 - Scoring goals ain't a bad habit in this business!

 

Great day out, great result, among some great Bristol City people. Those celebrations at the end will live long in the memory. 

[Cider_boy]

32 minutes ago, Londoner said:

if you look at his goals they have been poachers, other players doing the work and him I the right place at the right time....no brilliance, no skill, just right place right time (which he deserves credit for),

But this is what we have missed most. Yes Kodj scored a fair few last season, but wasn't really as prolific by himself as we needed. So far (and yes, it is early days) Abraham has scored has 4 goals, but more importantly scored in all three games.

Maybe being in the right place at the right time is the skill and brilliance that is needed for a top goal scorer.

I'm not convinced we would have won all three games (or any of them?) without him.

[spudski]

2 minutes ago, Esmond Million's Bung said:

I don't really see it as a 'nice' problem, but I do see it as a problem. At the moment he can't drop Abraham and probably daren't drop Tomlin or Kodjia and if anything Kodjia proved how important he is and hopefully a growing partnership with Abraham with his part in the winning goal.

The only solutions that come to mind is to instruct the 2 main midfielders to run their socks off and replace them when tired like we used to do with wing backs or revert to 3-5-2 or sacrifice O'Dowda for a midfield of Pack, Oneil and Smith when fit.

it might end up being a big problem, trying to accommodate 2 strikers and Tomlin.

 

 

Agreed fella...it could become a big problem...but imo, better to have that problem than not have any of them to choose from in the first place.

I think LJ said we improved when we went to a diamond formation today...I get the impression we may evolve our formation throughout games, depending on how it's working out.

I'd rather have that, than keeping to a formation regardless and never changing.

I can see more players coming and going in the next few weeks, so I think it's going to be an interesting few months...just hope fans realise we are trying to put together a team over time and not just over the summer months.

Glad to have six points on the board...as we will get battered at some point soon. That's the nature of the Championship.

 

[Robin 101]

Can't beat a last minute winner at a class away day still buzzing. Great atmosphere there today

Just my opinion but personally think that Abraham starts the next game with Kodjia on the bench. Not an over reaction as he is one of our best players but believe we should go with one up top with Tomlin behind.

Something like

Rod

Matthews Flint Magnusson Golbourne

O'Neil Pack

O'Dowda Tomlin Bryan

Abraham

Not complaining about a fantastic start to the season just my view.

[Davefevs]

What formation did Burton play, did that gave an effect on our starting formation?  Where did Tomlin start, in behind 4312 or left midfield 442?  What will Norwich play on Tuesday?

[stephenkibby.]

I cant see LJ being frightened of making big calls regarding selection. Would be surprised to see all three start at Norwich.

Abraham has to start so if were not to get overrun in midfield Kodjia or Tomlin will start on the bench imo

It doesn't matter what either cost or are worth I think LJ will make the call.

[Meh]

So based on the replies about formation and a leaning towards 3 into 2 isn't going and may not go.

Would you take 8 million now for Kodj if it meant we would get a decent centre back and decent back up for Abraham in - I'm talking players who would accept more time on the bench than playing.

When I say decent I mean a sort of Liam Moore type centre back and a quick striker (not good with names) who could replace Abraham and might notch - a slightly better agard type if there is one?

If yes, would that apply if it was even a championship rival - forgetting what SL said !!

[Esmond Million's Bung]

13 minutes ago, spudski said:

Agreed fella...it could become a big problem...but imo, better to have that problem than not have any of them to choose from in the first place.

I think LJ said we improved when we went to a diamond formation today...I get the impression we may evolve our formation throughout games, depending on how it's working out.

I'd rather have that, than keeping to a formation regardless and never changing.

I can see more players coming and going in the next few weeks, so I think it's going to be an interesting few months...just hope fans realise we are trying to put together a team over time and not just over the summer months.

Glad to have six points on the board...as we will get battered at some point soon. That's the nature of the Championship.

 

I probably agree but unless we find the right players to compliment what we have to ensure that the preferred system works, sooner or later there will be problems and those problems affect the dressing room, Tomlin does not strike me as somebody who will sit on the bench for very long and the French are the undefeated world champions at sulking and I don't see Abraham as a loan striker.

 

[Gillies Downs Leeds]

1 hour ago, Clarky89 said:

Getting increasingly worried that we've gone out and signed some top drawer players, but without any real thought of how they'll play together? 

No point breaking your transfer record on Tomlin and then sticking him out wide, for instance. Might as well bought a £3m winger. 

On to today, though:

Loved Burton Albion. Great little stadium, and we could make a bit of noise in the terrace. 

Little. Seriously?!? I'm even more baffled why we let Ayling go now. I couldn't of done much worse out there today. His pace has vanished, which was what made him the players he was. 

O'Neil needs Smith in the middle with him ASAP. Think the return of Smith will see performances improve. If we can keep grinding out points in the mean time, then great. 

O'Donnell - 6 - Literally had nothing of any note to do. 

Little - WTF - One of the worst performances I've ever seen. Sorry. 

Flint and Magnusson - 7 each - going to be one of the best partnerships in the Championship. 

Bryan - 6 - Is not a left back. Looked dangerous carrying the ball forward. 

O'Neil - 7 - Solid. Can see his class. 

Brownhill - 5 - Not quite sure what he's suppose to offer at this point. Is he a ball winner, or ball prayer, is he suppose to have a trick, or pace? Not sure, didn't do much. 

Tomlin - 4 - Anonymous. Not his fault, he's being played out of position. 

O'Dowda - 6 - Started lively. Suffered later due to Littles performance down the right. Very excited by him, though. Think he and Matthews will do things on the right flank. 

Kodjia - 6 - Would've been lower if it wasn't for his march winning run and cross, the cheeky devil, 

Abraham - 8 - Scoring goals ain't a bad habit in this business!

 

Great day out, great result, among some great Bristol City people. Those celebrations at the end will live long in the memory. 

Bit harsh on Little in my opinion. Thought he was let down by the tactics,i thought Burton's only threat was Dyer on the left hand side, but second half Little had no help out there at all. It was crying out for a substitution to plug the gap on that side of the pitch. As for Joe Bryan, man of match for me by a distance. All about opinions though and 3 points is the main thing. Onwards and upwards!!

 

[downendcity]

This time last year we were struggling to get any results and to fill the bench. Now we have won three on the trot and are worried about which of our best players might need to be left out.

Which problem would we rather have?

This team s not the finished article and we still have Korey Smith to come back in, so it is quite possible that LJ will change things around a few times until he finds the right mix of players and formation. It might all go pear shaped i the next three games, but if we can get results while still searching for the best team selection then it cant be too bad a thing can it?

Is there a danger that fans perhaps over analyse results and preferences too much - that's a job best left for the manager, who seems  well aware of performance shortcomings and has already shown that he is quite prepared to change things when required.

[Chris]

I've lifted this from Burton's forum:

Quote

Good game and not moaning at all but we really were a bit naive there.

Should have just shut up shop and took the point. Scoring in the 88th minute it would have felt like a great result anyway.

We went bombing on looking for the winner, get caught out diving in at left back again and it's another scruffy goal scored from two yards out that does us.

I didn't think Tom Flanagan was too bad and it really was a garbage reaction by the "fans" to cheer him off, what a set of clueless, classless numpties. Having said that he definitely needs to improve his speed of thought a little bit cos there were a couple of times he should have crossed it early, he takes a touch and the chance is gone. also the chance he had clean through, again no need to take a touch, just put your foot through it.

We need a couple of breaks in both boxes. Already this season we've conceded 4 goals to "unlucky" bounces that could have gone anywhere, they all drop onto someones foot and it's a goal. Then for us in the their box four or five times today we flashed it across and no-one showed enough desire to get on the end of it. We've had a couple of really dangerous set pieces as well and Turner looks a real threat, he'll get us 5 or 6 goals from centre half for sure.

I like Turner and MacFadzean so far but feel as well that they're always looking for the Hollywood ball, get it down and play it short.

Thought O'Grady held it up brilliantly at times but can't argue that we looked better when Akins went out wide and Beavon came on, he played a couple of really clever passes and looked sharp.

Wouldn't be surprised if Tom Naylor has done enough to start over Williamson on Tuesday, Lee's done nowt wrong but in both games Tom has brought an energy level and a goal that we were lacking before he got on. can't do much that he has done to earn his shirt. it might even be that Hamza and Tom both come back in for Williamson and Irvine, who was neat and tidy and linked with Dyer quite well a couple of times but didn't really do anything that caught the eye.

Overall another disappointing day, not with the performance at all but with the fact again we should have got something out of the game and we've left pointless.

Read more: http://burtonbrewers.proboards.com/thread/2609/bristol-city-home-thread#ixzz4HFCu2E9f

Seems very similar to what we did last year, not accepting the point on offer and trying for the win only to lose.  In that way, we're a lot more savvy this year.

[nellie]

isnt a sign of a good team winning when not playing well ? 

[Thatwasclose]

OP is right. Still chuffed with the 3 points

midweek LJ said they used 5 formations during that game and I thought that's nothing to be proud of and shows you haven't got a clue!

[Davefevs]

5 minutes ago, Thatwasclose said:

OP is right. Still chuffed with the 3 points

midweek LJ said they used 5 formations during that game and I thought that's nothing to be proud of and shows you haven't got a clue!

That's one way of looking at it.

i'd prefer to look at it as:

- certain players ain't doing what I want them to, let me tweak it, or,

- blimey, they've lined up a bit different than I expected, let me tweak it, or

- player X is on top form and I need to nullify him, let me tweak it, or

etc.

i appreciate LJ's honesty and his willingness to change things and quickly.

[Robbored]

Playing crap and winning. I remember Liverpool doing that in the 70s and winning the league.

[Davefevs]

4 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Playing crap and winning. I remember Liverpool doing that in the 70s and winning the league.

They didn't play crap that often.

[Robbored]

1 minute ago, Davefevs said:

They didn't play crap that often.

I see the last three results as a good sign. We were poor in all of them but won the games. How good will we be when we get it right?...

[Davefevs]

1 minute ago, Robbored said:

I see the last three results as a good sign. We were poor in all of them but won the games. How good will we be when we get it right?...

Will be brilliant.....and lose!

[BRISTOL86]

Only 3 wins out of 3, FFS Johnson. 

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

Am I the only drunk foolish City fan on here that's  singing " We are top of the league"?

I know it can't last but it's just so cool to have won three in a row in a new season  looking down  the table knowing that there's some incoming talent before September. 

 

Just let me have have this moment...

[Cider_boy]

5 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

Only 3 wins out of 3, FFS Johnson. 

and all of them only wins by 1 goal - Johnson out!

[BRISTOL86]

Just now, Cider_boy said:

and all of them only wins by 1 goal - Johnson out!

We're top of the league, there's never been a better time to have your Johnson out!

[The dastardly red]

4 hours ago, Esmond Million's Bung said:

it was tongue in cheek, sorry you didn't get that, I don't do emoji's.

5 of todays starting lineup are new signings, we traditionally do better against footballing sides and as yet we haven't faced one, i'm sure LJ is well aware things are less than perfect and I suspect that there are still several more signings to arrive, at least this season we have the advantage of having a little more competition for places.

So let's be happy we have a few scores on the doors and hope and expect performances to come with tactical improvements.

I also heard that the referee today was appalling especially in the first half.

I agree but must ask why don't you do emojis? 

[robin_unreliant]

Think it is a bit unfair to say we have had 3 bad games and won them all.

Against Wigan we pummelled them in the second half. Yes we weren't great for 90 mins but were pretty dominant for 45. Only one team was going to win that one late on.

Wigan looked good today ( yes Blackburn look poor) so maybe not a bad sign.

Early days but six points now after the start last season feels so much better.

[NickJ]

Burton were the better team but hey we won - successful teams win when they don't play well.

Mystified when we went 3 up frontwith 10 to go but to be fair it was a positive move that worked, albeit maybe with some good fortune.

On my way to Norwich and from what I've seen think we will get dicked but hope I'm wrong.

Finally LJ needs to sort Tomlinson gob a less tolerant ref would have given him a red.

 

[Davefevs]

5 minutes ago, robin_unreliant said:

Think it is a bit unfair to say we have had 3 bad games and on them all.

Against Wigan we pummelled them in the second half. Yes we weren't great for 90 mins but were pretty dominant for 45. Only one team was going to win that one late on.

Wigan looked good today ( yes Blackburn look poor) so maybe not a bad sign.

Early days but six points now after the start last season feels so much better.

Don't want to praise Grigg, but his partnership with Wildschut is good reason for Wigan to have a comfortable season.  Wildschut is a right handful.

[Gillies Downs Leeds]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

Don't want to praise Grigg, but his partnership with Wildschut is good reason for Wigan to have a comfortable season.  Wildschut is a right handful.

Wildschut played against for Middlesboro up at there place last season and was a real handful 1st half. He was unbelievably substituted at half time.

[BS3_RED]

4 hours ago, samo II said:

LJ has said himself; we're a work in progress.

We might be shifting about a bit just now to find how we best fit together, but I'm happy that we clearly have brought in enough quality to win games when the team isn't quite 'clicking', and that unlike last year we are not slavishly sticking to a formation that isn't rewarding us.

I can see some games doing for us; Nowich look sharp and aggressive, so might need to find another gear or two.

One player I really can see making a difference is Korey Smith; such a cool head and clever player - nice to think we still have him to come back.

Its not just him but Mathews as well. Both huge players for us.

[BS3_RED]

6 minutes ago, NickJ said:

Burton were the better team but hey we won - successful teams win when they don't play well.

Mystified when we went 3 up frontwith 10 to go but to be fair it was a positive move that worked, albeit maybe with some good fortune.

On my way to Norwich and from what I've seen think we will get dicked but hope I'm wrong.

Finally LJ needs to sort Tomlinson gob a less tolerant ref would have given him a red.

 

Under the new rules I would have sent him off. 

[NickJ]

3 minutes ago, BS3_RED said:

Under the new rules I would have sent him off. 

 

3 minutes ago, BS3_RED said:

Under the new rules I would have sent him off. 

Fairly sure AFTER the yellow Tomlin  mouthed a further insult at the ref which either the ref ignored or chose to. Also has regular rants at Bryan and anyone else around. Love the skill and talent but not a team player.