The Official Bristol City v Rotherham United Match Day Thread

[havanatopia]

Good day everyone.

Today feels like the most important match day thread I have ever written. It just does. This seems like 'D' day.

I cannot recall a time in the decades I have supported City where so many new players have arrived and so many old ones left in such a short space of time. I refer to the last two transfer windows. Notwithstanding the need to substantially bolster following the disaster of last season’s recruitment the comings and goings have been nothing short of phenomenal. All parties involved deserve enormous credit. 

Sitting alongside that positivity is the disastrous record breaking run of 8 losses and 2 wins from 17 league games. Assimilating players is often not straightforward and doing so with such large numbers while departing players break friendships and on the field partnerships and formations makes for the disturbing possibility of a downturn in form, and so it has proved. But can it all be blamed on all of the above?

Judging by the majority of OTIB fans on a poll ‘no’ is the answer; we have been asking for the removal of Lee Johnson to halt the inexorable slide toward the relegation threatened bottom three. Very few of us know if he is a bad coach. All we can go on and assume is that the owner of this great football club, along with the board, believe he is a good coach. 

Such remarks have been regurgitated over and over and no doubt will be again and again especially if the slide continues. 

The remarkable backing of Lee Johnson, including the deadline day signings of the contentious Matty Taylor and the returning David Cotterill, is illuminating to many in football. In the week when the club is back in the spotlight, following the 35th anniversary of the Ashton Gate 8 event, there will be renewed analysis of a club that is bucking the sack trend. It might turn out to be an absolute master stroke, partially because the owner and board are desperate to save face, partially because they fear it might make matters worse, which I would doubt.

Today City face a team cast adrift at the bottom of the Championship. Anything other than a win for City will throw the club and the powers that be into a brain storming frenzy. Nobody would have thought it would even be needing of discussion; the vast majority of managers would have been sacked long ago and to even contemplate not doing so after losing to Rotherham would be unthinkable. 

Matty Taylor is the potential distraction the club was seeking as an insurance policy in case the worst possible result ensues this evening; win lose or draw and Lee Johnson will still be in his job, of that I now have little doubt. How big a demonstration there might be should City get hammered, as I felt we might before these latest two signings, is an unknown but I suspect rather muted. No City fan can nor should bother; It feels a bit like the Umbrella Movement before it started when one Chinese gentlemen said to me in Kowloon; “the young are restless, they feel that China is taking away their liberty by stealth and denying them freedom yet they are the wealthiest Hong Kongers ever. I suspect they will demonstrate but it will be futile”.

It is not a very good analogy I know but it does give a little pause for thought. Change when things appear bad is not always going to result in a positive ending nor is change certain. 

I now think we might just scrape a nervy win today only because of the two new signings. I think they will add that extra 5% and take us over the line to victory. It may just turn out to be the most important result in the entire tenure of Lee Johnson when we look back on it in a few days, weeks or years; lose or win. Lose it and the club will be staring down the barrel of a Tsunami of tough away games.

The Millers have to be taken down, it is as simple as that but they will be far from a straightforward task. What a bright day it would be if somebody, anybody, scores a goal for City in the opening few minutes and then the floodgates of utter frustrating open up and we see the opposition net bulging time and again. I am always the optimist, otherwise I tend to get acid indigestion and what is the point of that?

And although I called for Lee to move on I genuinely hope today will not be his Waterloo. The only similarity he has with the French despot is his height. Long may that be the only thing.

Enjoy the game everyone.

 

 

 

[Red Army 75]

Come on city. Biggest game of the season so far IMO 

[Tin Soldier]

Massive game today. We will be there!

[BS10 RED]

I for one am feeling very upbeat about today's game, can see a City win and a good one at that. For the first time in months i'm actually looking forward to going to Ashton Gate today. 

[WECANDO]

Question is - Who are in the team and who are out? One thing our Lee must do is to stop asking Little to stay so tight to Flint leaving the advancing left sided opponent acres of space to get the ball and put in crosses. Little then wanders over and then gets beat for pace and trickery. I just don't get this tactic. If Taylor starts who will suit his game the best? Djuric who wins most balls in the air or Abrahams with his pace and movement?

[Inactive user]

Right. This is the one we've been 'waiting' for. We're going to absolutely batter Rotherham today.

Were going to start turning those chances into goals, that domination into chances. 

I'm going for 1 nil. COYR.

[old_eastender]

I'd like to see a team selected to really go for it, but doubt LJ will do this. I expect to see a holding midfielder as well as Hegeler in the starting line-up, just to make sure we have plenty of sideways and backwards passing options.

Rotherham will surely set-up to frustrate, and a cautious team selection and tactics from LJ will play into their hands.

I predict a scrappy tense affair, but with Matty Taylor coming off the bench to score the winner, so just for once I'm going to agree with Rednwhiterob, 1-0 City.

 

[Charliesboots]

Excellent preamble @havanatopia

City win 2-0, I smell a Taylor goal

[Out of his pie crust]

Hope the crowd get right behind them. Back on the beers today after a months abstinence so will be properly ....ehem....lubricated ...to provide consistent & loud support. Thouroughly looking forward to it and not sure I've said that in a while. Would be a positive thing to hear same team or 10/11 that started Tuesday. Oh...and tomlin through the middle please. Thanks that is all

[daored]

23 minutes ago, old_eastender said:

I'd like to see a team selected to really go for it, but doubt LJ will do this. I expect to see a holding midfielder as well as Hegeler in the starting line-up, just to make sure we have plenty of sideways and backwards passing options.

Rotherham will surely set-up to frustrate, and a cautious team selection and tactics from LJ will play into their hands.

I predict a scrappy tense affair, but with Matty Taylor coming off the bench to score the winner, so just for once I'm going to agree with Rednwhiterob, 1-0 City.

 

Can only see Rotherham coming here today to set up to frustrate us. They will know if they get to half time 0-0 the crowd will get restless and the pressure will mount on the players and they will hope for a late goal to sneak it. We have to be positive, we have to take the game to them. We need width and to make the pitch as wide as we possibly can. Play two up top , Tammy and Djuric and whoever the wide players are get to the byline and whip the balls in with pace. 

Would like to see Tomlin play to give us some creativity but not sure if playing two up top

1 hour ago, Red Army 75 said:

Come on city. Biggest game of the season so far IMO 

Agree, this game is huge. The players need a win (and hopefully a comfortable win) to boost confidence before the run of tough away games begin. 

Johnson needs a win, as I'm sure a negative result today will see the pressure on him erupt from the stands. Whilst it would be encouraging to see a comfortable win, the most important thing today is the result.

[WarksRobin]

If City were on a winning run, this is the sort of game they would lose! Not today. We are going to win and I don't care about the score.

[samo II]

The most 'must win' game that isn't actually must win (i.e. nothing is actually decided today or directly on the back of the result).

With Sheffield Wednesday doing us a huge favour last night and halting Wigan's recent upturn in form, we must take full advantage and put six points between them and us, and equally aim to make up ground on the likes of Forest, Ipswich and QPR above us, in order to make this relegation fight more open.

With a game in hand on many ahead of us after today, the scary run coming up over the rest of the month would be a little less intimidating knowing a chance win, or even a couple of points might keep us from getting cut adrift.

The dark side of all this is that new signings or not, I'm still firmly of the mind that Johnson has to get a win today in order to retain any crumb of good will, and a shot at tuning things around over the rest of the season.

It hasn't been mentioned much, but one factor about today's game is that if we fail to win (and yes; even if it helps us, I do not think a draw is enough to have LJ stay for any good reason) we'd have won just twice and drawn twice (or three times dependant on today) in 20 league games, and from looking at it, no team has survived at this level having had a run like that.

Said it before; Rotherham or bust for LJ - I hope we start a come back today with nothing less than three points, otherwise I think his time is up.

[RedM]

No doubt O'Donnell will give Rotherham some pointers, but then he doesn't know about Matt Taylor does he? But then, neither do we! 

[Red Army 75]

6 minutes ago, RedM said:

No doubt O'Donnell will give Rotherham some pointers, but then he doesn't know about Matt Taylor does he? But then, neither do we! 

Ye he's crap. Overrated.  Misses more than he scores . Apparently 

[RedM]

1 minute ago, Red Army 75 said:

Ye he's crap. Overrated.  Misses more than he scores . Apparently 

Ha ha I'd even take some misses, sometimes we don't even have a shot!

[Red Army 75]

1 minute ago, RedM said:

Ha ha I'd even take some misses, sometimes we don't even have a shot!

Do u think he should start today.

[BigTone]

1 hour ago, havanatopia said:

Good day everyone.

Today feels like the most important match day thread I have ever written. It just does. This seems like 'D' day.

I cannot recall a time in the decades I have supported City where so many new players have arrived and so many old ones left in such a short space of time. I refer to the last two transfer windows. Notwithstanding the need to substantially bolster following the disaster of last season’s recruitment the comings and goings have been nothing short of phenomenal. All parties involved deserve enormous credit. 

Sitting alongside that positivity is the disastrous record breaking run of 8 losses and 2 wins from 17 league games. Assimilating players is often not straightforward and doing so with such large numbers while departing players break friendships and on the field partnerships and formations makes for the disturbing possibility of a downturn in form, and so it has proved. But can it all be blamed on all of the above?

Judging by the majority of OTIB fans on a poll ‘no’ is the answer; we have been asking for the removal of Lee Johnson to halt the inexorable slide toward the relegation threatened bottom three. Very few of us know if he is a bad coach. All we can go on and assume is that the owner of this great football club, along with the board, believe he is a good coach. 

Such remarks have been regurgitated over and over and no doubt will be again and again especially if the slide continues. 

The remarkable backing of Lee Johnson, including the deadline day signings of the contentious Matty Taylor and the returning David Cotterill, is illuminating to many in football. In the week when the club is back in the spotlight, following the 35th anniversary of the Ashton Gate 8 event, there will be renewed analysis of a club that is bucking the sack trend. It might turn out to be an absolute master stroke, partially because the owner and board are desperate to save face, partially because they fear it might make matters worse, which I would doubt.

Today City face a team cast adrift at the bottom of the Championship. Anything other than a win for City will throw the club and the powers that be into a brain storming frenzy. Nobody would have thought it would even be needing of discussion; the vast majority of managers would have been sacked long ago and to even contemplate not doing so after losing to Rotherham would be unthinkable. 

Matty Taylor is the potential distraction the club was seeking as an insurance policy in case the worst possible result ensues this evening; win lose or draw and Lee Johnson will still be in his job, of that I now have little doubt. How big a demonstration there might be should City get hammered, as I felt we might before these latest two signings, is an unknown but I suspect rather muted. No City fan can nor should bother; It feels a bit like the Umbrella Movement before it started when one Chinese gentlemen said to me in Kowloon; “the young are restless, they feel that China is taking away their liberty by stealth and denying them freedom yet they are the wealthiest Hong Kongers ever. I suspect they will demonstrate but it will be futile”.

It is not a very good analogy I know but it does give a little pause for thought. Change when things appear bad is not always going to result in a positive ending nor is change certain. 

I now think we might just scrape a nervy win today only because of the two new signings. I think they will add that extra 5% and take us over the line to victory. It may just turn out to be the most important result in the entire tenure of Lee Johnson when we look back on it in a few days, weeks or years; lose or win. Lose it and the club will be staring down the barrel of a Tsunami of tough away games.

The Millers have to be taken down, it is as simple as that but they will be far from a straightforward task. What a bright day it would be if somebody, anybody, scores a goal for City in the opening few minutes and then the floodgates of utter frustrating open up and we see the opposition net bulging time and again. I am always the optimist, otherwise I tend to get acid indigestion and what is the point of that?

And although I called for Lee to move on I genuinely hope today will not be his Waterloo. The only similarity he has with the French despot is his height. Long may that be the only thing.

Enjoy the game everyone.

 

 

 

Condensed Version

Rotherham:

Welcome to D Day and Matty Taylor.

Johnson out and lets hope he gets the train to Waterloo.

Must win otherwise Havana literally gets the squits.

2-0 City

Edited February 4, 2017 by BigTone

[petehinton]

Can see this being our Bolton of last year where we nailed them 6-0. 

Matty first goal scorer is 5/1....

[Monkeh]

Sober Monkeh says 5-0

[Major Isewater]

2 hours ago, havanatopia said:

Good day everyone.

Today feels like the most important match day thread I have ever written. It just does. This seems like 'D' day.

I cannot recall a time in the decades I have supported City where so many new players have arrived and so many old ones left in such a short space of time. I refer to the last two transfer windows. Notwithstanding the need to substantially bolster following the disaster of last season’s recruitment the comings and goings have been nothing short of phenomenal. All parties involved deserve enormous credit. 

Sitting alongside that positivity is the disastrous record breaking run of 8 losses and 2 wins from 17 league games. Assimilating players is often not straightforward and doing so with such large numbers while departing players break friendships and on the field partnerships and formations makes for the disturbing possibility of a downturn in form, and so it has proved. But can it all be blamed on all of the above?

Judging by the majority of OTIB fans on a poll ‘no’ is the answer; we have been asking for the removal of Lee Johnson to halt the inexorable slide toward the relegation threatened bottom three. Very few of us know if he is a bad coach. All we can go on and assume is that the owner of this great football club, along with the board, believe he is a good coach. 

Such remarks have been regurgitated over and over and no doubt will be again and again especially if the slide continues. 

The remarkable backing of Lee Johnson, including the deadline day signings of the contentious Matty Taylor and the returning David Cotterill, is illuminating to many in football. In the week when the club is back in the spotlight, following the 35th anniversary of the Ashton Gate 8 event, there will be renewed analysis of a club that is bucking the sack trend. It might turn out to be an absolute master stroke, partially because the owner and board are desperate to save face, partially because they fear it might make matters worse, which I would doubt.

Today City face a team cast adrift at the bottom of the Championship. Anything other than a win for City will throw the club and the powers that be into a brain storming frenzy. Nobody would have thought it would even be needing of discussion; the vast majority of managers would have been sacked long ago and to even contemplate not doing so after losing to Rotherham would be unthinkable. 

Matty Taylor is the potential distraction the club was seeking as an insurance policy in case the worst possible result ensues this evening; win lose or draw and Lee Johnson will still be in his job, of that I now have little doubt. How big a demonstration there might be should City get hammered, as I felt we might before these latest two signings, is an unknown but I suspect rather muted. No City fan can nor should bother; It feels a bit like the Umbrella Movement before it started when one Chinese gentlemen said to me in Kowloon; “the young are restless, they feel that China is taking away their liberty by stealth and denying them freedom yet they are the wealthiest Hong Kongers ever. I suspect they will demonstrate but it will be futile”.

It is not a very good analogy I know but it does give a little pause for thought. Change when things appear bad is not always going to result in a positive ending nor is change certain. 

I now think we might just scrape a nervy win today only because of the two new signings. I think they will add that extra 5% and take us over the line to victory. It may just turn out to be the most important result in the entire tenure of Lee Johnson when we look back on it in a few days, weeks or years; lose or win. Lose it and the club will be staring down the barrel of a Tsunami of tough away games.

The Millers have to be taken down, it is as simple as that but they will be far from a straightforward task. What a bright day it would be if somebody, anybody, scores a goal for City in the opening few minutes and then the floodgates of utter frustrating open up and we see the opposition net bulging time and again. I am always the optimist, otherwise I tend to get acid indigestion and what is the point of that?

And although I called for Lee to move on I genuinely hope today will not be his Waterloo. The only similarity he has with the French despot is his height. Long may that be the only thing.

Enjoy the game everyone.

 

 

 

Is today the beginning of our revival ?

 I would say ' yes ' because , win we build confidence , ' lose ' well LJ's position becomes surely untenable.

As I said on another thread , " If we can't beat the worst team in the League at home , what does that make us ? "   

A draw is just as bad as à loss .

Still I am optimistic and will go with a morale boosting 3-0 victory to the boys in red.

 

[steviestevieneville]

I'd be surprised if he starts . Same line up and formation as Tuesday I think. 

[RedM]

40 minutes ago, Red Army 75 said:

Do u think he should start today.

Good question, to be honest I'm not sure.

I guess he's been playing regularly so no problem with fitness as such, even though the game is quicker and more skillful at this level. I've no idea what sort of player he is, more of a box hanger I would imagine. He doesn't look overly tall so might not win much in the air. Defenders at this level will have a bit more about them than he is used to, also he hasn't had long to get to know his team mates, and to play him will we have to change formation and go 2 up top, and who do we drop? 

If we start him and then sub him off after an 'average' match without scoring people might see him as a flop, the Gasheads would love this too if we cared what they thought about OUR player. So better to have him on the bench, bring on around 60 minutes (depending on what the game is like). He's got a 30 minute taster of the lower end of the Championship, he would have been watching for an hour on the bench making him hungry for some action hopefully.

So for me bench and then a used sub.

You? Any other opinions anybody?

[BanburyRed]

@havanatopia

An extraordinarily passionate, articulate, constructive post, given everything that's gone on in the last week, let alone the season so far, best matchday post...

If the team could harness just 10% of the passion & fire & commitment that you write with and the fans support with, through thick and thin, the good and the bad (and at times the downright mediocre)...then it should be odds on for City win today.

But part of me, part of me, can see us being frustrated by the Millers, they've got nothing to lose, effectively down already, that if we aren't at least 2 up by half time, then you can imagine the reaction.

Today is about desire, 'wanting it', but alot to do with patience, both on the pitch and in the stands. 4-0 up in 20 mins or 1-0 in last minute, i don't care but we simply HAVE to win. Drawing or losing isn't an option today.

COYR!  

[Fordy62]

I'm hoping the turning point came against Wednesday. It was the night we started to create chances again. The night we actually looked dangerous going forward. 

I wonder what it was that made things change that night?

ive said all along that we're not good enough to play without our best player and Tuesday night proved that we had been missing him. 

I think Tammy & Tomlin will be too strong for Rotherham, but anything other than a win and it's goodnight from Lee. 

[Septic Peg]

Morning Hav and all.

I can see today going two ways. Either ROD has an absolute stormer and we lose 1-0 or Matty Taylor has an absolute stormer and we win 2-1 with a goal from the gashead and one from Tommo. 

I doubt Ekstrand will start as he isn't match fit but I fully expect to see him play for maybe the final 10 and he might get a hostile reaction after his comments earlier in the week. 

If we lose today, OTIB goes into meltdown. Eeek. 

[Red Army 75]

13 minutes ago, RedM said:

Good question, to be honest I'm not sure.

I guess he's been playing regularly so no problem with fitness as such, even though the game is quicker and more skillful at this level. I've no idea what sort of player he is, more of a box hanger I would imagine. He doesn't look overly tall so might not win much in the air. Defenders at this level will have a bit more about them than he is used to, also he hasn't had long to get to know his team mates, and to play him will we have to change formation and go 2 up top, and who do we drop? 

If we start him and then sub him off after an 'average' match without scoring people might see him as a flop, the Gasheads would love this too if we cared what they thought about OUR player. So better to have him on the bench, bring on around 60 minutes (depending on what the game is like). He's got a 30 minute taster of the lower end of the Championship, he would have been watching for an hour on the bench making him hungry for some action hopefully.

So for me bench and then a used sub.

You? Any other opinions anybody?

Yep agree with that . Really looking forward to today. Strange considering how poor it's been of late 

[Charliesboots]

40 minutes ago, petehinton said:

Can see this being our Bolton of last year where we nailed them 6-0. 

Matty first goal scorer is 5/1....

Feel the same deep down but wasn't brave enough to post it!

[Murraysrightplum]

With all the new signings and the transfer window out of the way it feels like the start of the season. Let's hope we get back to that form quick smart!

[Benjam!n Ultra]

0-0. RO'D to have his best game at AG. 

[downendcity]

1 hour ago, BigTone said:

Condensed Version

Rotherham:

Welcome to D Day and Matty Taylor.

Johnson out and lets hope he gets the train to Waterloo.

Must win otherwise Havana literally gets the squits.

2-0 City

Just Havana?

Lose and Imodium will be sold out all over Bristol (and Spalding!)