Match Report: A game so horrific I've made most of this up

[ChippenhamRed]

3 minutes ago, cidered abroad said:

Do you honestly believe that at any other club, a manager/head coach would have survived either of the last two seasons?

Good entertaining football for half a season with the other half so bad that we find it impossible to win either game this year against Burton Albion.

I give Burton some credit as a village team with a hard core of 3,000 supporters, and battling for all they are worth but they have lost thirteen home games. But we can't beat them. In the firm table from 1st January 2018, we would be down with them, scrapping against relegation.

Smell the coffee and get real .

Get real? We’re 7th in the table. A mid table finish will mean four consecutive seasons of league position improvement.

Are you seriously trying to argue that it was still the wrong decision to keep a coach who has overseen evident and substantial progress this year?

The form table is not what counts at the end of the year and neither can our season be judged against two games v Burton. We are 7th. That shows undeniable season-on-season progress.

You are the one who needs to “get real”, find some perspective and recognise the incremental progress being made at this club. You are like a petulant child.

[pongo88]

Thanks @Olé. I was still suffering from watching yesterday’s match and was beginning to think the whole day would be nothing but doom, gloom and shock. Your wonderful report, though completely true, was hilarious and has cheered me up.  Now instead of thinking I wasted the day by going to Burton to watch football, I realise that I had the luck to watch something that will live forever in the history of BCFC. In years to come, when young children are naughty,  parents, who were there, will threaten to tell them about Burton v City if they don’t behave 

[General Zod]

7 minutes ago, ChippenhamRed said:

Get real? We’re 7th in the table. A mid table finish will mean four consecutive seasons of league position improvement.

Are you seriously trying to argue that it was still the wrong decision to keep a coach who has overseen evident and substantial progress this year?

The form table is not what counts at the end of the year and neither can our season be judged against two games v Burton. We are 7th. That shows undeniable season-on-season progress.

You are the one who needs to “get real”, find some perspective and recognise the incremental progress being made at this club. You are like a petulant child.

It’s all opinions and maybe I’m just too impatient but I’m still seeing a guy in charge who doesn’t know how to get a team out of a bad run.  As we all know, this isn’t the first time it’s happened in his career and I don’t feel he’s learnt from previous seasons.  I’m not yet in the LJ our camp but I definitely was last season.  I will see how the season plays out but improvement shouldn’t just be measured by the league position but also performances and learning from last year.  I honestly think LJ is a guy who knows his job is 100% safe. and I think  you can get too comfortable and this lack of pressure isn’t helping us.  

[KeepUpLino]

9 hours ago, stephenkibby. said:

Take it you don't believe in the bigger picture ?

I’d prefer Cardiff’s bigger picture, (with poorer resources) just get it done!

[Sparkz 76]

LJ has improved us this season and maybe we are punching above our weight but why can’t he get over a bad run. When these runs start he can’t seem to rattle off decent results that’s the thing that bothers me the most Sheffield W was a good performance but 1 point from Preston and Burton is unacceptable and two wins this year tells the story. I want LJ to stay and improve us as he is done but tactically needs to be better especially away from home last win away was Sheffield Utd December 8th last year

[ScottishRed]

The consistent 'bad runs' are an issue and anyone who thinks they aren't is clearly a happy clapper.

All of the coaching team need to look at this to ensure it does not become a feature of next season too.

We have done well this season but the frustration surrounds the fact that we could have done so much better.

I believe we have won 2 of the last 16 I think 2/3 more wins in that run and a lot on here would be much less critical.

I think describing LJ as ' one of the most highly rated young coaches in Europe' however is one of the funniest things I have heard on here.

 

[italian dave]

Just to put this 'bad runs' obsession into some sort of context, last six games we are currently 14th in the championship table, two places below Wolves, three below Preston, and well clear of Derby. it happens. And it's not like it's 10 on the bounce or whatever it was last year! 

And, if I'm honest, having been to Bolton, Cardiff, Preston and Burton, it was only Bolton (when I felt we played like we just had to turn up to get three points) that I felt we didn't deserve something. 

[Red Finesse]

LJ is as guilty as anyone else for getting ahead of themselves.

Remember that cringe worthy quote after the mauling at villa park??? 

[italian dave]

4 hours ago, Olé said:

the real issue was we just gave the ball away over and over again, comical stuff at times, 2-3 yard lay offs to no one, balls out of play, up and over balls straight into their defenders.

Ole, thanks for the usual excellent report, very much how I saw it. And especially this - we just didn't seem to be able to pass the ball. Why? This was large,y the same group of players who passed it brilliantly a week ago v Wednesday. Was it just the pitch? It's hard to figure out how a player like Korey Smith, usually somreliable, can seem simply unable to pass to a team mate. 

The only positive really was we defended well, Pisano seems to get through 90 mins OK so seems to be nearly back to match fitness, and as you say the return of Djuric. On a better day, that will start to give us options again later in games when we're starting to tire.

[HoldenBall]

2 minutes ago, Red Finesse said:

LJ is as guilty as anyone else for getting ahead of themselves.

Remember that cringe worthy quote after the mauling at villa park??? 

The worst thing he's said is the players in training call themselves a premier league club 

[Red Finesse]

2 minutes ago, Sergio Georgini said:

The worst thing he's said is the players in training call themselves a premier league club 

*Shudders*

[HoldenBall]

4 minutes ago, Red Finesse said:

*Shudders*

I'm glad the players proved themselves wrong  

[Major Isewater]

12 hours ago, Olé said:

Gary Johnson once promised to show his backside in Burton. His son just showed his bad side there instead. Terrible pun but I haven't got much material to work with here. And I worked on that for 3 hours.

This was easily the worst game of football you will see this season. The pitch wasn't the best but City continually gave the ball away with a succession of underhit and overhit passes or long range punts.

Our first shot on target was in the 92nd minute by which time Korey Smith had put in easily his worst game in a City shirt and Bobby Reid had been reduced to dropping 30 yards deeper and hoofing it upfield.

By virtue only of knowing the speed and run of their pitch better, Burton were the more convincing team, but to say it was just the pitch would do them a disservice - they got the ball down far more than us.

We for some reason (though Cardiff away was a clue) turned into a team that put the ball in the air at every opportunity: the players looked like they hadn't met each other before. This wasn't LJ's finest hour.

We started brightly enough, but quickly it became apparent that Burton would close us rapidly in midfield, resulting in us losing possession to underhit touches or overhit (or downright ambitious) forward balls.

We did contrive the first good move of the game, Pack, Reid and Paterson combining on the left but no one meeting Paterson's cross. Paterson got to the byline next but his near post shot was beaten away.

It was as good as it got for another hour. Burton showed more conviction when they broke, actually holding the ball up better than we could, creating room to threaten and pushing our lot deeper and deeper.

But quality was at a premium in what must be one of the worst ever football games in Championship history, and neither keeper was troubled by largely speculative shots high over the bar - or out of the ground.

That would change just before half time as Burton worked their striker a clear sight of goal inside the box and Fielding made a smart save, but we failed to clear our lines and a further mad scramble went close.

By half time Bobby Reid had dropped as deep as his own defence to get the ball, but in truth his touch has long since deserted him as much as it had his teammates, and little of his contribution was positive.

Diedhiou was marooned up front and did a poor job most of the time of bringing the ball under control. The rest of the team did not know how to get the ball anywhere near him without putting snow on it.

Our first good move of the second half arrived just before the hour, Kelly sent to the byline on the left, and his sharp cross - the best of the match - flashed across goal to where Diedhiou yards out inexplicably sliced over.

With Djuric on, our ability to win the ball in midfield and actually string the odd pass together was marginally improved (from a very low start) and with 20 left he started a move that saw Reid put Brownhill clear on the right, but the keeper was out first.   

Burton were still more purposeful with the ball - helped by their ability to run with it and play simple passes where our lot were determined to launch everything up in the air, or lay it off perpetually to the invisible man.

But our defence, aided by Hörður, held firm, letting us enjoy a predictably awful cameo by Diony - his headless running and total inability to trap the ball a brief comical respite from the continuous skied passes.

Diony has lots of intent but plays a bit like he is being controlled by someone in the stand using a broken Xbox controller. The ball can arrive at his feet and he has already taken off in the other direction.

With minutes left Burton deservedly had a chance to win it (given their better endeavour breaking down the channels), their striker flashing a looping shot across goal from just inside the right of the box, that just curled wide of Fieldings far post.

But two minutes into injury time City could nearly have nicked it. Less smash & grab, more trash & grab, as an awful display was punctuated by a late City rally, the ball breaking to Brownhill on the edge of the box whose stinging shot - our first on target - was straight at the keeper.

In the end a goalless draw that flatters both teams, a game so poor the ref would have been forgiven for abandoning it after an hour, and a pitch that wrongly will get the blame for City's failure to match their lowly opponents ability with the ball.

Notwithstanding the pitch being comically cut up by tyre tracks on the wings, today we saw our real lack of true wingers and apart from Paterson's ability to run with the ball, we rarely stretched their defence.

Worst of all, when Pack and Korey aren't able to pass out of midfield the whole side implodes, Bobby drops too deep, Famara is isolated, and we become aimless punt it long team with no common sense and no desire to put a foot on the ball and play.

 

Fielding 6 A couple of routine saves

Pisano 6 One of the few to actually get the ball down and run, and strong with it

Kelly 6 Our best cross and a few nice overlaps but poor decision making at times

Wright 6 Solid but unspectacular. One good run (I think he'd give up on everyone launching it)

Baker 6 As above but for half as long

Smith 4 Probably his worst game in a City shirt, kept giving it to the opposition

Pack 5 His range of passing was severely curtailed and became totally ineffective

Paterson 6 Easily the most purposeful with the ball but not much end product and faded quickly

Brownhill 6 Always willing but either no one could find him properly or he needed several touches to control the ball out in the rough on the wing

Reid 5 Dropped deeper and deeper but his passing was way off and understanding with Diedhiou non existent

Diedhiou 5 Couldn't control the ball much of the time and missed a sitter. Had very little support

 

Magnússon 6 Also solid and unspectacular, dealt well with their threat from the right and did more than most to get the ball into their box

Djuric 7 Two touches where he reminded us how well he wins and controls forward balls, are enough to make him our best player on the pitch - it wasn't hard

Diony 4 Becoming an entertaining 100mph sideshow simply from his inability to do the basic things

 

For once Ole I don't totally agree with your analysis.

I thought we played ok up until the double substitution when all of a sudden it looked like a bunch of strangers just so happening to be wearing  the same coloured shirts.

The lack of shots on goal is very concerning.

Don't shoot , don't score it's simple. Burton had more shots but thankfully  were to accuracy what Boris Johnson is to European harmony.

Pack and Smith were overrun in midfield.

There was no midfield support for our strikers.

As for Fammy , he's got " Bill and Ben " legs which make it look like he hasn't controlled the ball but it is an illusion. He brings it under control with his back often to the defender and the ball furthest away from his body where the opponent can't reach it .

 

[pommers65]

12 hours ago, Kid in the Riot said:

We've played Burton 4 times in the Championship: first game won 2-1 fortuitously, and 3 goalless draws since. LJ has clearly demonstrated he has learnt nothing about how to break down Burton or teams of a similar ilk. 

Poor management and today's performance was just so bad, you start to wonder whether he can turn around such a drop in form AGAIN.

 one goal wrongly disallowed & a missed pen in two of those games which would have resorted in wins

 

[Kid in the Riot]

8 minutes ago, pommers65 said:

 one goal wrongly disallowed & a missed pen in two of those games which would have resorted in wins

 

Doesn't matter mate,  I'm talking about overall performances and we were dreadful in all 4 fixtures. Possibly the worst of the lot was yesterday.

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

2 hours ago, cidered abroad said:

Do you honestly believe that at any other club, a manager/head coach would have survived either of the last two seasons?

Good entertaining football for half a season with the other half so bad that we find it impossible to win either game this year against Burton Albion.

I give Burton some credit as a village team with a hard core of 3,000 supporters, and battling for all they are worth but they have lost thirteen home games. But we can't beat them. In the form table from 1st January 2018, we would be down with them, scrapping against relegation.

Smell the coffee and get real .

Three points off the play-offs

Beat Man Utd

Best aggregate score home and away against Man City of any club

Converted Bobby Reid into one of the best players outside the Premiership

SACK HIM!!  Bring back Steve Cotterill.

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

1 hour ago, ScottishRed said:

The consistent 'bad runs' are an issue and anyone who thinks they aren't is clearly a happy clapper.

All of the coaching team need to look at this to ensure it does not become a feature of next season too.

We have done well this season but the frustration surrounds the fact that we could have done so much better.

I believe we have won 2 of the last 16 I think 2/3 more wins in that run and a lot on here would be much less critical.

I think describing LJ as ' one of the most highly rated young coaches in Europe' however is one of the funniest things I have heard on here.

 

You may think it’s funny, but it’s true...

[1960maaan]

4 hours ago, Olé said:

you are right about Magnússon who looked very tidy but I didn't feel I could give anyone more than a 6 for a match like that

That was going to be my one query in an otherwise accurate review. I thought Mags , Pisano and Kelly could take some credit from a horror show of a game. Djuric looked quality when he came on, wins everything in the air and his hold up is immense . 
The question is what does LJ see in Diony ??  Answers on a postcard 

[The Bard]

So Smith and Reid have bad games and the overall performance is woeful.  Not surprising really.  We are too dependent on them. 

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

4 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

That was going to be my one query in an otherwise accurate review. I thought Mags , Pisano and Kelly could take some credit from a horror show of a game. Djuric looked quality when he came on, wins everything in the air and his hold up is immense . 
The question is what does LJ see in Diony ??  Answers on a postcard 

Can we just get a LITTLE real.  If that’s a ‘horror show of a game’ what was the 5-0 defeat to Preston last season?

Agree about Diony though.  Poor guy needs to rebuild his clearly shattered conference, and he isn’t going to do that in the present pressured situation at Ashton Gate.  Remember though that he is being watched in training where he must be doing something right...

[1960maaan]

3 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

Can we just get a LITTLE real.

Maybe an exaggeration but was horrible to watch. Struggling to get any dominance over a workman like side and 92nd minute before a shot on target ? That really is scary stuff. 
Brilliant day out though , we paid under £22 for a round of 9 pints in one place. Shame the game was so poor.

[Bazooka Joe]

2 hours ago, ChippenhamRed said:

Find it a bit annoying how people can rubbish other people’s posts without EVER having the balls to actually post anything themselves. I’m looking at you Mr No-posts@red and ready

You have the right to say what you want; he has the right to stay silent.

[ExiledAjax]

Pisano was decent I thought. Maggers, Djuric and Kelly were acceptable.

Overall though that was the worst game I’ve watched since I saw Grimsby play Exeter 10 years ago.

A real shame as Burton were there for the taking.

[cider-manc]

Awful game yesterday with a non existent atmosphere.... Even some boos at the end of the game that frankie couldn't believe.

It was the lack of movement off the ball that i found most frustrating. I don’t think ive seem us with such lack of options for a pass this season. 

The pitch did play a part... Many a time brownhill needed to take several touched on the right as the ball bobbled around in front of him.

We didn’t play well but anyone who thinks LJ should go needs their head looking at.

[General Zod]

24 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

Three points off the play-offs

Beat Man Utd

Best aggregate score home and away against Man City of any club

Converted Bobby Reid into one of the best players outside the Premiership

SACK HIM!!  Bring back Steve Cotterill.

3 points off the playoffs? I’d see that as justification for LJ being under pressure given where we were before Christmas not something to praise.  Wasted opportunity and it’s right fans ask questions.  I wouldn’t base a successful season on a cup run and as for Bobby, all credit to LJ for that one but what a gamble which if failed we would have been left with Woodrow upfront.  My frustration is down to the fact that opportunities for promotion don’t come round too often given the wealthy teams in this league and we should have been easily anchored in a playoff spot with more consistency since Christmas.  I know it’s all about the long term plan but what is long term?  Am I justified in raising my concern next season or the year after?  When can I question the success of the project?

[Davefevs]

3 hours ago, reddoc said:

Basically if they're big and strong and get in our faces we're in big trouble. Not sure if it's bottle or just lacking the technical ability to protect the ball and create that extra yard needed. Certainly some players hid yesterday, just didn't want it. With Diedhiou, on yesterdays showing I'd suggest bottle. Some of those powder puff challenges must have embarrassed his mum. Love the comment on Diony, to me I had the impression he's mistaking the ball for his pet spaniel, in that if he spins and runs away from it it'll chase him. Peculiar.

I’ve wondered this for a while.  We do not perform our style against the tough sides away from home.  We trust ourselves at AG, but away we are a different side in the main.  I caveat that that most of my watching away is tv / stream, where I don’t get as good a view.

2 hours ago, spudski said:

How the hell is LJ blagging it? We sit 7th...ahead of 17 other teams, many with bigger resources and more experienced managers. That after only 2 seasons up, whilst others have had far more years in this league and below us.

Yep, 7th is great in terms of last 2 season’s, but it’s disappointing from the position we’ve been in this season.  The challenge will be to improve for a 5th season on the trot next season if we don’t pull it together in the last 9 games.  Expectations have been raised....maybe too quickly.  I’d argue not.  LJ began to raise these expectations early in 16/17 season.

We've seen how well this team can play. However some people seem to forget these players are human and not some FIFA game. Players have bad games...Smith and Pack have been great this season on the whole....but it's LJ's fault they had a poor game yesterday?

Agree. Sometimes too the opposition play better than you expect and that nullifies our players.  It’s 11v11, not 11v0.  Burton played better stuff yesterday than us.  LJ does need to think whether what works at home, whether it works away.  I think our style is perfect (in the main) at home.  We pass it around in all the thirds at home, controlling possession/ tempo.  We rarely do that away.  We might knock it around the back line, but we rarely sustain possession in our opponent’s final third away from home.  I don’t get away enough to work out why.

It's been a culmination of many things that have caused our dip in form...mainly injuries to key players, others having to play more games and fill in, then getting knocks and playing through them. Other players off form or not firing ( it happens, they all aren't going to work ). All of this culminates in extra pressure and more individual mistakes happen. Fear sets in and players fear losing and making errors. That's what often leads to performances like yesterday. Especially when you have a back 4 made up of 3 not 100% fully fit players and one Academy product.

It does, but most squads are going through similar....(accept our injuries are worse than most).

When you look at the squad, most would have picked yesterdays team with what we have available. Yet LJ gets the blame for the performance? The players know what to do....you really think LJ said to perform that way? Of course not. But when playing against a side battling for their lives, on a poor pitch, and not playing well, the team resorted to percentages. That's what players do when on the pitch and can see and feel what's happening. Nothing was going our way, players were not playing well (it happens, as it does to all of us ) and we rode out a goal less draw.

Yesterday was about the players not performing.  We are all tactical-Mourinho’s with our subs from the sofa/terraces.  One of my old managers said you set the tempo for the whole game in the first 5 minutes.  You can’t expect subs on 60, 70, 80 minutes to always positively impact a game.  They are joining 8 players who’ve not got going, 3 out of 11 might help, but sometimes they just play out the time in the same way as the other 8 players.  Once, I’d like to see our starting XI play 90 together.

We've lost 9 games all season and still sit 7th with 9 games to play.

Yep, all us not lost is it?  But we are putting more pressure on ourselves week by week.

Yes we are all disappointed after our flying start, but reasoning and understanding why things like this have happened seem to have gone out the window for many.

LJ gets the blame, Ashton, the January transfer window...blah, blah, blah...it's rubbish.

It’s hard getting players of the right quality in, and hard to move players on too.  We aren’t Wolves, Villa, Derby, Cardiff (thank f&€%), Middlesbrough, etc.

We've done remarkably well this season after only two seasons up.

As for the core of the side, you'll find that 5 of em were playing when SoD was here. Go figure.

It’s about various managers in that time developing them.  SOD, Cotts and now LJ gave had their effect on each player.

You say we are somewhere middle in our ability...what's wrong with that after two seasons?

You think you can gain promotion from League 1 and within 2 seasons get promotion again...guaranteed? If so, why aren't every team doing that?

Yep, it’s so easy isn’t it.  

When we came up 2 seasons ago, if you asked most fans, would you be happy to be an established mid table team and stable two seasons later, the majority would have said yes.

Even little old Burton have denied opponents 39 points this season (7w x 3pts, 9d x 2pts).  This is a tough league.

Of course we would.

If you take the extreme views away, most of us wanted a season without any relegation battle, bordering on top half.  We are over achieving....although i’m Probably pretty frustrated at the mo.

Problem is...we did very well at the beginning and have given some fans false hope as to what we really are.

I’m one of those, but as per earlier comment, we did show these signs in 16/17 season too.  How do we change ‘over-achieving’ to become the "new norm"

Take everything into consideration, we will have done well this season if we finish top 10...and anyone who thinks otherwise is not understanding how football works imo.

Nice post spud...responses above.  Things I agree with, things I don’t.

1 hour ago, KeepUpLino said:

I’d prefer Cardiff’s bigger picture, (with poorer resources) just get it done!

You being serious KUL?  In fact you’re right, they do have poor resources....but they overspend it!  You don’t get into £100m debt without spending.  They will be one of the biggest spenders in this league (transfer fees, loan fees, signing on fees, wages, etc).  We are in the bottom third, quote from the FD (not Famara Diedhiou!) at BCFC.

@Olé thanks for your OP.  Poetic!  The Bard Of BS3!

[Portland Bill]

52 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

You may think it’s funny, but it’s true...

Source!

[Nogbad the Bad]

50 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

You may think it’s funny, but it’s true...

'One of the most highly rated young coaches in Europe.'

Who says? Based on what?

Did they really examine the credentials of all the young coaches in Germany, Spain, Italy etc. in their deliberations before making such an outlandish claim?

[SedRA]

1 hour ago, Sergio Georgini said:

The worst thing he's said is the players in training call themselves a premier league club 

I think you got the wrong end of the stick with that one mate. He said we are a ‘premier league club in training’ as in we are training/preparing for the premier league. Not we call ourselves a premier league club when we are training. 

[CotswoldRed]

12 hours ago, Bristol Rob said:

I fell asleep listening to the game on the radio, this was partly because it sounded dull, but also because if I was awake I was meant to be giving the carpet a shampoo.

Bristol Rob 8 - expertly avoided giving the carpet a clean whilst having an epic nap at them same time. Possible man of the match performance.

I'm giving myself an 8 too for changing the brakes discs and pads on the motor during the game. 

Although I drop a half point for failing to complete the task without swearing.