FBC PODCAST - BIRMINGHAM [H] reviewed, "we were crap...that's life"!

[headhunter]

 

https://foreverbristolcity.podbean.com/e/we-were-crapthat-s-life/   [also on Google etc.]

A fourth defeat in 5 games – we seem to be ending 21/22 in similar fashion to last season’s behind closed doors debacle.

Ian, Mark and DaveP state the obvious in their analysis of the game, namely the side was, in our ill informed opinion, set up wrong from the off with forward Sam Bell in a defensive role and being 0-2 down inside 15 minutes as a result.

Scott’s goal at the start of the 2^nd half offered hope but at no time did City really take the game to Birmingham after that.

JD had a good game but Williams & James were poor with Martin looking like he needs to find a larger pair of shorts.

Whilst not accepting responsibility for the defeat Pearson pulled not punches with his “we were crap” assessment but his “that’s life” comment regarding Simpson continuing unavailable for selection deserves further scrutiny.

OUR VIEWS ARE OUR OWN AND NOT REFLECTIVE OF THE MAJORITY SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO HAVE A MOAN AT US WITH ANY COUNTER ARGUMENTS

 

[NcnsBcfc]

Sorry i wasn't able to be on the pod today @headhunter. Was doing the English Taekwondo Championship in Worcester with the youngest one.

I said to @GrahamCbefore the game that this felt like a step too far for Bell. But in fairness, James was extremely culpable for the first goal; as was Semenyeo's marking for the second.

I thought Scott had a good second half (he obviously scored of course), as did JD for me over the course of the game.

The annoying thing was taking Scott out of the centre to correct the RWB situation. Lost that creativity, when he gets on the ball. James didn't look fit, and when asked to play the reverse sweeper role, you could just tell (unlike Williams against Boro) that it wasn't his game.

I also thought Atkinson played well on his return to action. Kalas had a bit if a nightmare against Chong's movement, and pace.

Does feel at the moment that the momentum of the home run has now been lost; and we are coasting towards the end of the season again.

Pearson's interview for me was a bit lethargic, aka "what can i say, that you haven't heard before from me?"

There's no point reading the riot act to the players. I'm sure they pretty much know the upheaval that's going to take place in the summer.

I completely agree with all the points made over our finances on other threads; but the RB scenario for me is a bit unforgivable, and was crying out for a loan in that area.

I know NP's views on bringing people in on the short term. But christ, we are playing a 19 year old forward there at the moment; or a LWB who is unfortunately very left footed. Whoever we got in, surely they would have improved our squad in that area.

[Beni71]

When you say not accepting responsibility for defeat he did say something along the following lines

“I’m responsible for this team, I’m the manager, I’m criticising myself” 

Or something like that but probably doesn’t fit the FBC agenda.

From his interview you can tell NP is incredibly frustrated with the situation and the team’s inability to defend a set piece. Is that down to the manager or the players or both?
 

[headhunter]

16 minutes ago, Beni71 said:

Or something like that but probably doesn’t fit the FBC agenda.

 

What is our agenda in your opinion?

[NcnsBcfc]

14 minutes ago, Beni71 said:

When you say not accepting responsibility for defeat he did say something along the following lines

“I’m responsible for this team, I’m the manager, I’m criticising myself” 

Or something like that but probably doesn’t fit the FBC agenda.

From his interview you can tell NP is incredibly frustrated with the situation and the team’s inability to defend a set piece. Is that down to the manager or the players or both?
 

To be honest, although we are of course poor defensively from set pieces. It still gets me going how we set up at Corners.

How many goals have we conceded at the front post all season? Yet, yesterday we haď Semenyeo defending there for the second goal (previously COD). In previous seasons that would have been Fammy there of course. But i'm not sure why we don't have someone like Martin or one of the CBs there.

Teams in the Championship will be aware of course of our failings defensively from crosses, and set pieces. In the same way we have tried to change formations, there doesn't seem at face value a change from the standard zonal marking of the Centre backs + Martin; leaving other players to "attempt" to go man to man (rather badly obviously). Unless @Davefevs tells me i've got it wrong. We've been running that scheme most of the season.

If that's still the case, then it falls into the lap of the coaching team unfortunately.

[REDOXO]

2 minutes ago, headhunter said:

What is our agenda in your opinion?

I can’t answer for anyone else, however the show offers some opinions that do smack of an agenda with particular individuals and players, depending on who is talking  

including

Pearson must go

ODowda is crap

Weimann is crap

OLeary is crap 

Martin is a carthorse

 The list is pretty endless actually. We are a club trying to build out of the only thing we have. An academy! 
 

I get criticism and no one is above it anywhere at the club….or on the podcast.

Keep going, as FBC gets more coverage now than all the other podcasts, which is funny! And says something about their outright blandness! 

 

[GrahamC]

To be fair to @NcnsBcfc he said before kick off that he felt the selection of Bell was a poor one, he was certainly proved correct, though as he points out above, the lad should have expected far more support from James & Williams.

[GrahamC]

1 hour ago, headhunter said:

 

https://foreverbristolcity.podbean.com/e/we-were-crapthat-s-life/   [also on Google etc.]

A fourth defeat in 5 games – we seem to be ending 21/22 in similar fashion to last season’s behind closed doors debacle.

Ian, Mark and DaveP state the obvious in their analysis of the game, namely the side was, in our ill informed opinion, set up wrong from the off with forward Sam Bell in a defensive role and being 0-2 down inside 15 minutes as a result.

Scott’s goal at the start of the 2^nd half offered hope but at no time did City really take the game to Birmingham after that.

JD had a good game but Williams & James were poor with Martin looking like he needs to find a larger pair of shorts.

Whilst not accepting responsibility for the defeat Pearson pulled not punches with his “we were crap” assessment but his “that’s life” comment regarding Simpson continuing unavailable for selection deserves further scrutiny.

OUR VIEWS ARE OUR OWN AND NOT REFLECTIVE OF THE MAJORITY SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO HAVE A MOAN AT US WITH ANY COUNTER ARGUMENTS

 

Why do you think the bit in bold is the case?

Isn’t it weird that if you think so that no one on the podcast puts forward what you say is the majority view?

As has already been pointed out above, the bit about Pearson not accepting responsibility is nonsense.

Edited March 6, 2022 by GrahamC

[Davefevs]

Did Mark realise by Sunday morning that it was Atkinson who came on as sub, not Bakinson?  Think he left Geoff 20Man very confused on Saturday evening.

[Beni71]

8 minutes ago, headhunter said:

What is our agenda in your opinion?

In terms of agenda It feels it’s becoming anti Pearson, not by all contributors and the thinking is very short term. 

In terms of broader context some of the comments “we let too many crosses into the box”, “what do they do at the training ground”.

The crosses issue have been clocked by NP and every manager in the championship. So why don’t we address?

Is it the manager?

Is it our player capability?
Are other teams better than us?

Is it our unbalanced squad?

Probably yes to all the above! 

May be it’s just a “football fan” thing where there is a lack of clear objectivity and we all feel our team should be much better than they are. Our positions in the championship of 18,  17, 11, 8, 12, 19 and currently 17th are the reality of the situation of Bristol City in the championship.

Maybe a more realistic approach is required to balance up the regular negativity.

 

[DaveF]

5 minutes ago, Beni71 said:

In terms of agenda It feels it’s becoming anti Pearson, not by all contributors and the thinking is very short term. 

In terms of broader context some of the comments “we let too many crosses into the box”, “what do they do at the training ground”.

The crosses issue have been clocked by NP and every manager in the championship. So why don’t we address?

Is it the manager?

Is it our player capability?
Are other teams better than us?

Is it our unbalanced squad?

Probably yes to all the above! 

May be it’s just a “football fan” thing where there is a lack of clear objectivity and we all feel our team should be much better than they are. Our positions in the championship of 18,  17, 11, 8, 12, 19 and currently 17th are the reality of the situation of Bristol City in the championship.

Maybe a more realistic approach is required to balance up the regular negativity.

 

We're 19th now 

[Davefevs]

21 minutes ago, Beni71 said:

In terms of agenda It feels it’s becoming anti Pearson, not by all contributors and the thinking is very short term. 

In terms of broader context some of the comments “we let too many crosses into the box”, “what do they do at the training ground”.

The crosses issue have been clocked by NP and every manager in the championship. So why don’t we address?

Is it the manager?

Is it our player capability?
Are other teams better than us?

Is it our unbalanced squad?

Probably yes to all the above! 

May be it’s just a “football fan” thing where there is a lack of clear objectivity and we all feel our team should be much better than they are. Our positions in the championship of 18,  17, 11, 8, 12, 19 and currently 17th are the reality of the situation of Bristol City in the championship.

Maybe a more realistic approach is required to balance up the regular negativity.

 

Yesterday we conceded less crosses (11) than most games (average 17).  Of Brum’s 11 crosses, only 1 reached a Brum player.

City’s average is 12.4.  Yesterday we had 25 crosses…yes 25!

So is the crosses comment (not by you) fair re yesterday’s game?  It’s not accurate in the game being reviewed.

 

For clarity, I’m not including crosses from set pieces.  Brum won that battle 5v4…and a goal.

[Shuffle]

1 hour ago, NcnsBcfc said:

Sorry i wasn't able to be on the pod today @headhunter. Was doing the English Taekwondo Championship in Worcester with the youngest one.

I said to @GrahamCbefore the game that this felt like a step too far for Bell. But in fairness, James was extremely culpable for the first goal; as was Semenyeo's marking for the second.

I thought Scott had a good second half (he obviously scored of course), as did JD for me over the course of the game.

The annoying thing was taking Scott out of the centre to correct the RWB situation. Lost that creativity, when he gets on the ball. James didn't look fit, and when asked to play the reverse sweeper role, you could just tell (unlike Williams against Boro) that it wasn't his game.

I also thought Atkinson played well on his return to action. Kalas had a bit if a nightmare against Chong's movement, and pace.

Does feel at the moment that the momentum of the home run has now been lost; and we are coasting towards the end of the season again.

Pearson's interview for me was a bit lethargic, aka "what can i say, that you haven't heard before from me?"

There's no point reading the riot act to the players. I'm sure they pretty much know the upheaval that's going to take place in the summer.

I completely agree with all the points made over our finances on other threads; but the RB scenario for me is a bit unforgivable, and was crying out for a loan in that area.

I know NP's views on bringing people in on the short term. But christ, we are playing a 19 year old forward there at the moment; or a LWB who is unfortunately very left footed. Whoever we got in, surely they would have improved our squad in that area.

Spot on & agree with all that. Thing for me is that post match NP says he wants to sign a RB in summer.  We are 33 days on from window closing so why the hell didn’t he address this in January as it was pretty obvious to everyone.  I’m not saying we could afford Christie who went on loan to Swansea but imagine how much better we would be if we had.  Surely there had to be a cheap loan of a RB who don’t cost the big bucks a striker would command. Bizarre all round.

[Davefevs]

7 minutes ago, Shuffle said:

Spot on & agree with all that. Thing for me is that post match NP says he wants to sign a RB in summer.  We are 33 days on from window closing so why the hell didn’t he address this in January as it was pretty obvious to everyone.  I’m not saying we could afford Christie who went on loan to Swansea but imagine how much better we would be if we had.  Surely there had to be a cheap loan of a RB who don’t cost the big bucks a striker would command. Bizarre all round.

Or content to save money for the summer, hoping / knowing we won’t go down?

[Shuffle]

2 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Or content to save money for the summer, hoping / knowing we won’t go down?

Not sure he can be content with the total imbalance we find ourselves with.  No idea of finances to do a deal but if we limp over the line to safety due to point deduction then surely it will impact season ticket sales, sponsorship opportunities, so  is it a risk worth taking?  Maybe content to save his own blushes in asking for extra funding due to wasted salary on Simpson.

[Davefevs]

8 minutes ago, Shuffle said:

Not sure he can be content with the total imbalance we find ourselves with.  No idea of finances to do a deal but if we limp over the line to safety due to point deduction then surely it will impact season ticket sales, sponsorship opportunities, so  is it a risk worth taking?  Maybe content to save his own blushes in asking for extra funding due to wasted salary on Simpson.

Fair points made, but I honestly don’t feel Simpson’s salary for 5 months left stopped a loan signing in January.

Alex Scott is our best RWB anyway!

 

[Shuffle]

Just now, Davefevs said:

Fair points made, but I honestly don’t feel Simpson’s salary for 5 months left stopped a loan signing in January.

Alex Scott is our best RWB anyway!

 

Alex Scott would probably be our best keeper too as he’s that good!

[CodeRed]

30 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Or content to save money for the summer, hoping / knowing we won’t go down?

Maybe, but by - effectively - exposing Sam Bell he's done him no favours..... Bell stuck to his task but didn't try many forward passes and looked like his confidence had taken a real blow. Isn't part of Nige's job to bring through the young players and manage that pathway. Sure Scott seems to cope with anything that comes his way......I'm sure he'd go in goal and do ok !! ....but he's an extraordinary talent.   I get that a loan might block the pathway but they're short term and shredding a lad's confidence isn't great management either 

[Davefevs]

2 minutes ago, CodeRed said:

Maybe, but by - effectively - exposing Sam Bell he's done him no favours..... Bell stuck to his task but didn't try many forward passes and looked like his confidence had taken a real blow. Isn't part of Nige's job to bring through the young players and manage that pathway. Sure Scott seems to cope with anything that comes his way......I'm sure he'd go in goal and do ok !! ....but he's an extraordinary talent.   I get that a loan might block the pathway but they're short term and shredding a lad's confidence isn't great management either 

I honestly think we are over analysing it…yes, I said that!

We’ve seen Scott played “out of position” at RWB.  We’ve seen him hauled off in the first half.  It hasn’t done him any harm.

We’ve seen Tanner come in, hauled off in the first half and come through it.

Maybe Bell will too.  Maybe as a wide forward it will aid his development knowing what happens behind him having played some games at RB / RWB.

Dennis Bergkamp didn’t do bad up front for a RB did he!

[Lrrr]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

Yesterday we conceded less crosses (11) than most games (average 17).  Of Brum’s 11 crosses, only 1 reached a Brum player.

City’s average is 12.4.  Yesterday we had 25 crosses…yes 25!

So is the crosses comment (not by you) fair re yesterday’s game?  It’s not accurate in the game being reviewed.

 

For clarity, I’m not including crosses from set pieces.  Brum won that battle 5v4…and a goal.

Remember wyscout like to define a successful cross as one that creates a duel rather than first contact 

[Davefevs]

6 minutes ago, Lrrr said:

Remember wyscout like to define a successful cross as one that creates a duel rather than first contact 

Not so:

Successful: Yes (API tagId: 1801) / No (API tagId: 1802)

A cross is considered successful if the next touch is by a teammate.

Maybe they’ve changed their tracking over time?

Edited March 6, 2022 by Davefevs

[Lrrr]

5 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Not so:

Successful: Yes (API tagId: 1801) / No (API tagId: 1802)

A cross is considered successful if the next touch is by a teammate.

Maybe they’ve changed their tracking over time?

They told me their website didn't have the most recent definition after I quoted it to them

[Sir Geoff]

9 hours ago, Shuffle said:

Spot on & agree with all that. Thing for me is that post match NP says he wants to sign a RB in summer.  We are 33 days on from window closing so why the hell didn’t he address this in January as it was pretty obvious to everyone.  I’m not saying we could afford Christie who went on loan to Swansea but imagine how much better we would be if we had.  Surely there had to be a cheap loan of a RB who don’t cost the big bucks a striker would command. Bizarre all round.

Could have covered RB loan fee and wages by allowing Wells to go on loan to Cardiff.

[Davefevs]

5 minutes ago, Sir Geoff said:

Could have covered RB loan fee and wages by allowing Wells to go on loan to Cardiff.

Is that something that was on the table?

Were Cardiff gonna pick up all or some of his wages?

[Numero Uno]

9 hours ago, Shuffle said:

Alex Scott would probably be our best keeper too as he’s that good!

He’d at least be able to kick a back pass up the pitch and we’ll over the halfway line rather than 75ft up in the air with huge backspin on it, that’s for sure.

[NcnsBcfc]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

Is that something that was on the table?

Were Cardiff gonna pick up all or some of his wages?

I think my issue with the RB position is this:-

The two current RBs from the start of the season are both available, but now deemed not good enough.

We have had to come up with some sort of deep lying sweeperesque solution to combat our failings in that area (as well as others of course). Other systems/formations have also been tried as the 3-5-2 formation (that apparently is our best defensive formation) is quite clearly not working either

We had had a 19 year old striker playing there, who; I'm sorry is not up to the job. 

At times we have had to take one of our most creative players out of his natural position in CM (England U19's position) to cover there.

The coaching team has also had a predominately left footed LWB playing there as well to plug the gap, as there is no-one else.

When it comes to finances to cover a loan signing, yes I know money is tight. But we did actually sign Klose on a short term deal to cover at CB. A position that in my mind is not as pressing as the RB.

His point about Tanner coming back, is that he is still learning. So even when he comes back, NP considers we will still struggle in that area.

Using NP's rationale, (and the above points) that we will only get a loan signing in that either improves the team, or is to benefit the team; it is quite clear. We've dropped a bollock there I'm afraid.  

Using @GrahamC's points here. Yes, I agree that that we probably believed we were safe due to the unusual circumstances of a number of clubs below us; and has thus chosen not to spend the money on a loan signing there. But due to that decision making rationale we have created a chaotic chain of events that have led to us losing any momentum that the winning run at home afforded us.

And thus we limp until the end of the season, not finishing it on any sort of upward trajectory. I still think we need a couple of wins as well, by the way. Not sure where those are coming from at the moment.

EDIT: With Simpson now gone, possibly using the money saved for another OOC Klose type short term signing?

Edited March 7, 2022 by NcnsBcfc

[Curr Avon]

11 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Did Mark realise by Sunday morning that it was Atkinson who came on as sub, not Bakinson?  Think he left Geoff 20Man very confused on Saturday evening.

I've just listened to the recording (3 times) and I said BATkinson, which is better, or worse, depending on your opinion, or not. Hope that's clear. 

From 21:50: Sport: Post-match - 05/03/2022 - BBC Sounds

Edited March 7, 2022 by Curr Avon

[NcnsBcfc]

29 minutes ago, Curr Avon said:

I've just listened to the recording (3 times) and I said BATkinson, which is better, or worse, depending on your opinion, or not. Hope that's clear. 

From 21:50: Sport: Post-match - 05/03/2022 - BBC Sounds

Nice one @Curr Avon 

I'll catch up on the podcast with you soon.

[daored]

@headhuntercould I challenge you on a statement you made on the podcast. You replied to a message about a comment I posted, but how we would afford to replace Pearson, you commented the club can always find money similar to the government. Where would we find this money from? Really interested in your thoughts.

@NcnsBcfchope your sons did well at Tae Kwon Do event, a martial art I did many years ago 

[headhunter]

19 hours ago, daored said:

@headhuntercould I challenge you on a statement you made on the podcast. You replied to a message about a comment I posted, but how we would afford to replace Pearson, you commented the club can always find money similar to the government. Where would we find this money from? Really interested in your thoughts.

@NcnsBcfchope your sons did well at Tae Kwon Do event, a martial art I did many years ago 

Same place we found it to pay off  the remaining 4 years of LJs contract in 2020. That said, rather than a lump sum it seems these days the salary is paid to the exited manager up to the end of his contract or when he finds another job, whichever is earlier.