Off your seats guys...

[PFree]

Just a thought, but given we as fans are looking for some form of entertainment, what players, if any, offer the chance for you to get excited and get off you seats...? 

Might seem a strange question, but I feel the bad atmosphere / low morale is down to negative football and nobody “having a go” - my feeling is largely down to the answer is actually, nobody?

Anis perhaps, but with Antoine and Scott now gone, was NP not after some form of maverick / exciting / unpredictable type?

Who else, offers this..?

 

[Lack of Action Man]

8 minutes ago, PFree said:

Just a thought, but given we as fans are looking for some form of entertainment, what players, if any, offer the chance for you to get excited and get off you seats...? 

Might seem a strange question, but I feel the bad atmosphere / low morale is down to negative football and nobody “having a go” - my feeling is largely down to the answer is actually, nobody?

Anis perhaps, but with Antoine and Scott now gone, was NP not after some form of maverick / exciting / unpredictable type?

Who else, offers this..?

 

This is exactly what I have alluded to in another thread. There are no “moments” in this current team which get the fans going. No crunching tackles, no chasing down lost causes, and little else to inspire some fight or passion.

 

[Sir Colby-Tit]

Going two down against Brum seemed to get people off of their seats.

[marmite]

27 minutes ago, PFree said:

Just a thought, but given we as fans are looking for some form of entertainment, what players, if any, offer the chance for you to get excited and get off you seats...? 

Might seem a strange question, but I feel the bad atmosphere / low morale is down to negative football and nobody “having a go” - my feeling is largely down to the answer is actually, nobody?

Anis perhaps, but with Antoine and Scott now gone, was NP not after some form of maverick / exciting / unpredictable type?

Who else, offers this..?

 

No one. We just try to play it safe. 

Well, I say safe. What I mean is boring

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

21 minutes ago, OddBallJim said:

This is exactly what I have alluded to in another thread. There are no “moments” in this current team which get the fans going. No crunching tackles, no chasing down lost causes, and little else to inspire some fight or passion.

 

Big thumping tackle by Tanner v Fulham, mind you that was nearly two years back!

Mehmeti has potential in this area.

Game has changed a bit though, the individualists are crowded out a bit by the collective. Generalisation sure hut the higher you go the more prevalent etc.

Edited August 20, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[Lack of Action Man]

4 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Big thumping tackle by Tanner v Fulham, mind you that was nearly two years back!

Mehmeti has potential in this area.

Game has changed a bit though, the individualists are crowded out a bit by the collective. Generalisation sure hut the higher you go the more prevalent etc.

You’re right on Mehmetti, but he seems creatively stifled in the current set up. 

Game may have changed, but not for the better in this regard.

[Banjo Island]

There are no out of the seat moments at the gate dangerous freekicks no corners no longrange shots no long mazy runs no crunching tackles no  half time piss and pint yes

[Mr Popodopolous]

10 minutes ago, OddBallJim said:

You’re right on Mehmetti, but he seems creatively stifled in the current set up. 

Still got a bit to learn perhaps.

11 minutes ago, OddBallJim said:

Game may have changed, but not for the better in this regard.

Tend to agree. It just is quite rigid and tactical though, our one v Millwall although a slow burner I watched on a stream and first half especially the amount of midfield cancelling out...both sides but a lot of midfield battle in central areas.

[Supersonic Robin]

26 minutes ago, PFree said:

Just a thought, but given we as fans are looking for some form of entertainment, what players, if any, offer the chance for you to get excited and get off you seats...? 

Might seem a strange question, but I feel the bad atmosphere / low morale is down to negative football and nobody “having a go” - my feeling is largely down to the answer is actually, nobody?

Anis perhaps, but with Antoine and Scott now gone, was NP not after some form of maverick / exciting / unpredictable type?

Who else, offers this..?

 

Firstly, I think "negative football" is a bit of an unfair statement - it implies we're intentionally not threatening our opposition. We were crap on Saturday and have really lacked threat in our first few games, but I don't think it's a conscious decision to "be negative", I think it's just that we've lacked creativity/ability.

Your underlying point is right though - it's always going to be tough to generate a great atmosphere when your team fail to have a shot on target at home to Birmingham. Not sure I blame individual players though - I think there are larger factors at play.

In general, we're a club that lacks a bit of belief at the moment. It feels like we've been stuck in the bottom half of the Championship for about a decade, with no real chance of going up or down for the vast majority of that time period. Our relationship with our owners is now stale - we don't really believe in their project, and they're fairly open about the fact they're looking to sell. 
Comparatively, belief and momentum seem quite present at clubs like Birmingham (new owners) or Ipswich (recent promotion). I think that's part of the reason for the lack of "bad atmosphere/low morale" you allude to.

Despite all that, we probably have to take a bit of responsibility ourselves. There are plenty of clubs who, like us, haven't been particularly exciting in recent years, but still generate a better atmosphere.

 

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

3 minutes ago, Supersonic Robin said:

Firstly, I think "negative football" is a bit of an unfair statement - it implies we're intentionally not threatening our opposition. We were crap on Saturday and have really lacked threat in our first few games, but I don't think it's a conscious decision to "be negative", I think it's just that we've lacked creativity/ability.

Your underlying point is right though - it's always going to be tough to generate a great atmosphere when your team fail to have a shot on target at home to Birmingham. Not sure I blame individual players though - I think there are larger factors at play.

In general, we're a club that lacks a bit of belief at the moment. It feels like we've been stuck in the bottom half of the Championship for about a decade, with no real chance of going up or down for the vast majority of that time period. Our relationship with our owners is now stale - we don't really believe in their project, and they're fairly open about the fact they're looking to sell. 
Comparatively, belief and momentum seem quite present at clubs like Birmingham (new owners) or Ipswich (recent promotion). I think that's part of the reason for the lack of "bad atmosphere/low morale" you allude to.

Despite all that, we probably have to take a bit of responsibility ourselves. There are plenty of clubs who, like us, haven't been particularly exciting in recent years, but still generate a better atmosphere.

 

 

4 seasons tbh. Nothing like a decade, a decade ago we were bottom third League One at this point but I suppose slow building can accelerate bits of negativity.

A season in which it took until the end of October to win a League game. In League One.

Edited August 20, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[Supersonic Robin]

7 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

4 seasons tbh. Nothing like a decade, a decade ago we were bottom third League One at this point but I suppose slow building can accelerate bits of negativity.

A season in which it took until the end of October to win a League game. In League One.

Appreciate I may have rounded up a bit, but it's not that far off 10 years.

We were promoted back to the Championship in spring 2015. So as of 2023, it's about 8 years. Granted, we had the Man Utd cup run season and a decent year following that, but even then we finished 11th and 8th in those seasons.

I think the overarching point stands either way - many people are a little bit disillusioned with the club.

[Mr Popodopolous]

20 minutes ago, Supersonic Robin said:

Appreciate I may have rounded up a bit, but it's not that far off 10 years.

We were promoted back to the Championship in spring 2015. So as of 2023, it's about 8 years. Granted, we had the Man Utd cup run season and a decent year following that, but even then we finished 11th and 8th in those seasons.

I think the overarching point stands either way - many people are a little bit disillusioned with the club.

That's fair yeah. It has been a bit samey the last few years, austerity and clearing the decks but now we need a bit of stardust sprinkled if possible, sold our star player for a record fee- somewhere between £20-25m.

We just need a little lift IMO.

[Davefevs]

Mr P beat me to it….austerity does that to you.  Especially when we are one of a small number going through it.  Most of the others took ffp penalties and relegation!

[Mr Popodopolous]

Or got promoted at the right time or still hopefully under investigation! (Nottingham Forest and Fulham, then Stoke).

We seem solid..competent but maybe need that little something now don't you think Dave? As much psychological as technical or tactical.

[Offside]

2 hours ago, OddBallJim said:

This is exactly what I have alluded to in another thread. There are no “moments” in this current team which get the fans going. No crunching tackles, no chasing down lost causes, and little else to inspire some fight or passion.

 

I agree. With Scott and Semenyo gone there are fewer surging runs. Massengo often got the crowd going with his energy.

Out of the current players Pring can get the crowd on their feet when he runs with the ball (but we haven’t seen much of that this season). Also Weimann with his energy when he presses.
 

But yes, those moments are currently few and far between. 

[johnbytheriver]

put Haydon Roberts and pring in the same team play them on the left,also accommodate kai naismith in midfield,these are three of our best players and should all be in the starting line-up! Stop all this nonsense of playing Sam Bell at centre forward Naki is the best option at the moment.Play sam on the left, Sykes on the right.That is all we can do with the squad we have. Pearson has gone into Ostrich mode jut as he did last season when he played Andy King at centre half,His starting line-up for the two home games has been baffling!

[BCFCAL]

11 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Big thumping tackle by Tanner v Fulham, mind you that was nearly two years back!

Mehmeti has potential in this area.

Game has changed a bit though, the individualists are crowded out a bit by the collective. Generalisation sure hut the higher you go the more prevalent etc.

The game has changed at the very very top end, but most good championship teams have at least one exciting player that can beat a man and excite fans, IMO.

8 minutes ago, johnbytheriver said:

put Haydon Roberts and pring in the same team play them on the left,also accommodate kai naismith in midfield,these are three of our best players and should all be in the starting line-up! Stop all this nonsense of playing Sam Bell at centre forward Naki is the best option at the moment.Play sam on the left, Sykes on the right.That is all we can do with the squad we have. Pearson has gone into Ostrich mode jut as he did last season when he played Andy King at centre half,His starting line-up for the two home games has been baffling!

I would definitely agree with trying to play Roberts in a left wing area, he has a great delivery on him and with him and Pring would be interchangeable when one overlaps and the other one covers. Mehmetti has been a disappointment for me - not a write off yet, but needs to earn his place, and I don't really get the hype around Bell - yes again, not a write off, and both him and Mehmetti still young, but want more off of them to warrant a starting spot. Naismith could be a good addition in the middle, wide range of passing that this side seems to be lacking.

[Grey Fox]

12 hours ago, PFree said:

Just a thought, but given we as fans are looking for some form of entertainment, what players, if any, offer the chance for you to get excited and get off you seats...? 

Might seem a strange question, but I feel the bad atmosphere / low morale is down to negative football and nobody “having a go” - my feeling is largely down to the answer is actually, nobody?

Anis perhaps, but with Antoine and Scott now gone, was NP not after some form of maverick / exciting / unpredictable type?

Who else, offers this..?

 

We specialise in the mediocre, so the answer at the moment is none, however there is potential in players like Conway , Bell and others, until we flog them off to the first bidder that is.

[westonred]

When we signed Memheti i thought he was going to be some player however he seems to have lost that sparkle and now runs round like a headless chicken and cant seem to go past his man anymore perhaps he's been found out and the oppostion know how to play him.

Championship standard ? The jurys out on that one 

[mozo]

We need a prime Albert Adomah to liven up the crowd.

[Major Isewater]

12 hours ago, Supersonic Robin said:

Firstly, I think "negative football" is a bit of an unfair statement - it implies we're intentionally not threatening our opposition. We were crap on Saturday and have really lacked threat in our first few games, but I don't think it's a conscious decision to "be negative", I think it's just that we've lacked creativity/ability.

Your underlying point is right though - it's always going to be tough to generate a great atmosphere when your team fail to have a shot on target at home to Birmingham. Not sure I blame individual players though - I think there are larger factors at play.

In general, we're a club that lacks a bit of belief at the moment. It feels like we've been stuck in the bottom half of the Championship for about a decade, with no real chance of going up or down for the vast majority of that time period. Our relationship with our owners is now stale - we don't really believe in their project, and they're fairly open about the fact they're looking to sell. 
Comparatively, belief and momentum seem quite present at clubs like Birmingham (new owners) or Ipswich (recent promotion). I think that's part of the reason for the lack of "bad atmosphere/low morale" you allude to.

Despite all that, we probably have to take a bit of responsibility ourselves. There are plenty of clubs who, like us, haven't been particularly exciting in recent years, but still generate a better atmosphere.

 

 

The atmosphere is entirely generated by the acoustics in the Atyeo where a handful of away fans drown out the pockets of City who want to sing , boo or shout. 
The pre match music is waaaaay too loud and doesn’t allow the build up of excitement that used to accompany matches at the Gate. The banter between the fans . 
Add that to years of deception and underwhelming performances and there’s your answer. 
I said as much in the after match questionnaire sent out by the club.

Just when you think the club has turned a corner it somehow manages to be a dead end.

 

[Major Isewater]

1 hour ago, BCFCAL said:

The game has changed at the very very top end, but most good championship teams have at least one exciting player that can beat a man and excite fans, IMO.

I would definitely agree with trying to play Roberts in a left wing area, he has a great delivery on him and with him and Pring would be interchangeable when one overlaps and the other one covers. Mehmetti has been a disappointment for me - not a write off yet, but needs to earn his place, and I don't really get the hype around Bell - yes again, not a write off, and both him and Mehmetti still young, but want more off of them to warrant a starting spot. Naismith could be a good addition in the middle, wide range of passing that this side seems to be lacking.

Bell is a good finisher but needs to add more to his game on a consistent basis to be a starter IMHO. 

[westonred]

5 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

Bell is a good finisher but needs to add more to his game on a consistent basis to be a starter IMHO. 

I agree he is too lightweight at the moment and gets bullied off the ball too easily. A good sub to come on but i wouldn't start him every game but with our small squad and injuries he hasn't got much competition perhaps try Roberts as a LW

[mozo]

13 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

Bell is a good finisher but needs to add more to his game on a consistent basis to be a starter IMHO. 

Which of exactly where you'd expect him to be at this stage of his development. The way Conway and Scott quickly adapted to Championship football is fairly unusual.

[Open End Numb Legs]

Re the Atyeo, we should put some sound absorbing material into the roof.

About exciting players, whilst a weaving winger type can get past their man, we have seen Bell as the left side forward enjoy the chance to run into space past defenders. Not always the best finisher but that will come.

I think last season we struggled to break teams down at home and looked more threatening away but we have to see Bell out wide as the 'out ball' option, that will pull the defence across and create space in the middle for the other breaking players to run into.

Mehmeti has his moments, I would encourage him just to concentrate on wrong footing a defender just enough to get a good cross in, I don't expect him to run past 3 defenders and score a world class goal.

[Supersonic Robin]

10 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

The atmosphere is entirely generated by the acoustics in the Atyeo where a handful of away fans drown out the pockets of City who want to sing , boo or shout. 
The pre match music is waaaaay too loud and doesn’t allow the build up of excitement that used to accompany matches at the Gate. The banter between the fans . 
Add that to years of deception and underwhelming performances and there’s your answer. 
I said as much in the after match questionnaire sent out by the club.

Just when you think the club has turned a corner it somehow manages to be a dead end.

 

There is truth in your points - the way fans are placed doesn't help, the pre match music doesn't help, etc. It would be great if the club could resolve these issues, but I get the impression that those at the top of the club genuinely don't want the atmosphere to be more intense or aggressive. Their goal seems to be a "family day out at the fairground" type atmosphere.

Despite all this, we do have to admit that we as fans could do more though. I can't help but feel that if Leeds or Newcastle were playing their home games at AG, then suddenly we'd see that it is possible to generate a good atmosphere within the ground. 

[Davefevs]

17 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

The pre match music is waaaaay too loud and doesn’t allow the build up of excitement that used to accompany matches at the Gate. The banter between the fans . 

I sooooooo agree.

It drowns out that build-up of excitement, the opportunity to get a song going just before kick off, etc.

I think the best atmosphere of recent times was the AG8 game v Boro, where there was no music pre-game.  It created a great atmosphere.

[Nogbad the Bad]

22 minutes ago, mozo said:

We need a prime Albert Adomah to liven up the crowd.

So many games where Albert was the only City player worth watching, the one redeeming feature in an otherwise boring City team and countless dull performances

Without an Albert type entertainer modern day Championship football can be little more than a war of attrition between very fit, solid but mostly uninspiring players with long periods with little or nothing to get fans engaged, let alone excited.

Tackling, long shots, skilful players running past opponents with the ball, exciting moments that got the fans going, all increasingly absent from games.

10 years ago this month since Albert left the club btw.

 

[spudski]

13 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I sooooooo agree.

It drowns out that build-up of excitement, the opportunity to get a song going just before kick off, etc.

I think the best atmosphere of recent times was the AG8 game v Boro, where there was no music pre-game.  It created a great atmosphere.

I've been saying this for years...I really don't understand where the idea came about, that playing loud music creates an atmosphere. It does the complete opposite. It stops people from communicating and any build up of chants/ songs. People either stop talking or shout over one another. 

This happens at many events, and then you often get a ' compere/host' turn the volume down and shout down a microphone for the crowd to ' make some noise'

This study/ observation agrees. 

https://theconversation.com/the-roar-of-the-crowd-how-fans-create-electric-atmospheres-164280

[Riaz]

We shouldnt need something to happen to get the atmosphere going.

It should be the opposite - when the team is going through a tough moment - we should get louder.