ENJOYMENT

[Guest]

I was involved in a brief discussion about enjoying football.

I didn’t enjoy the game today and the result had little to do with that.

The game today it seemed to me was all about possession and very little about entertainment.

I don’t pretend to know the answer, but if our football, and football in general doesn’t provide entertainment to spectators then what’s the point in going to a game?
 

If anyone who reads this did enjoy the game please tell me what you enjoyed?
The football from both sides was 99% flat and the crowd was 99% quite.

[BCFCGav]

I enjoyed it up until their equaliser. I’m always happy when we’re winning. And utterly desolate when we lose.

[Robin101]

I’d actually be interested to read more about why this style of football suddenly seems to have completely swept through the football league like a new strain of Covid. 

Every team seems to try and play it. The best chances every team creates each week seems to be when they nick it off the opposition centre back trying to play like Xavi.

Is this Pep Guardiola’s influence or something else?

[bearded_red]

Vyner and Dickie are still down there now rolling the ball to each other at walking pace.

Absolute ******* torture.

[The turtle]

Couldn't watch the first half today. Heard the first half was somewhat decent. All prepped and ready for second half; this was my first 25 mins.

[Andrew_V1]

Very good point here, results aside the last few games have been incredibly dull to watch.

The modern trends of possession at all costs is typified by the amount of times a full back gets near a crossing situation then checks inside and passes back and within 3 passes you are back at the keeper recycling back out to the other side.

That’s why it’s refreshing to see a side like Luton achieve what they did by playing a completely different style to what’s ‘trendy’ 

[Robin101]

 

The Simpsons eerily predicting the future once again. 

[Robin101]

1 minute ago, Andrew_V1 said:

Very good point here, results aside the last few games have been incredibly dull to watch.

The modern trends of possession at all costs is typified by the amount of times a full back gets near a crossing situation then checks inside and passes back and within 3 passes you are back at the keeper recycling back out to the other side.

That’s why it’s refreshing to see a side like Luton achieve what they did by playing a completely different style to what’s ‘trendy’ 

I think we should hire Warnock, and seek to replicate 2010 era Stoke City.

[The turtle]

7 minutes ago, Countryfile said:

I was involved in a brief discussion about enjoying football.

I didn’t enjoy the game today and the result had little to do with that.

The game today it seemed to me was all about possession and very little about entertainment.

I don’t pretend to know the answer, but if our football, and football in general doesn’t provide entertainment to spectators then what’s the point in going to a game?
 

If anyone who reads this did enjoy the game please tell me what you enjoyed?
The football from both sides was 99% flat and the crowd was 99% quite.

The reasons why People enjoy football are questions external. For some it's results only, for most it's a bit more complicated than that with feelings built up over more than 1 game.

 

Teams can earn and save money in the bank for a rainy,but capital is not cheap

[Hello Dave]

5 minutes ago, Countryfile said:

I was involved in a brief discussion about enjoying football.

I didn’t enjoy the game today and the result had little to do with that.

The game today it seemed to me was all about possession and very little about entertainment.

I don’t pretend to know the answer, but if our football, and football in general doesn’t provide entertainment to spectators then what’s the point in going to a game?
 

If anyone who reads this did enjoy the game please tell me what you enjoyed?
The football from both sides was 99% flat and the crowd was 99% quite.

I’ve been saying this for a while now. I think there’s too much football on the telly, which doesn’t help. It’s always on, but I can’t remember the last time I watched the whole game.

Also, like you said, this possession football is boring as ****! The aim of the game is to score more goals than the other team, so what’s wrong with putting long balls and crosses into the box and creating goal mouth action ? It’s great watching Man City or Barcelona playing like they do, but there’s an end product. We struggle to get a shot on target!!!

[SomeRandomBristolian]

I enjoyed my hot chocolate at half time. It was a bit cold today. 

[Dr Balls]

5 minutes ago, Robin101 said:

I’d actually be interested to read more about why this style of football suddenly seems to have completely swept through the football league like a new strain of Covid. 

Every team seems to try and play it. The best chances every team creates each week seems to be when they nick it off the opposition centre back trying to play like Xavi.

Is this Pep Guardiola’s influence or something else?

It is the Pep effect. The problem is that if you don’t break all the FFP rules to get the best players available at top price, it doesn’t really work so well. 

And as for that goal kick routine where the central defender plays it back to the goalkeeper centrally in the front of the goal to then either play a defender into trouble or kick it long  to the opposition from further  back in the 6 yard box, wff?!

Both sides played it and it was a complete waste of time. In terms of risk v reward, the risk is far too high for any notional reward. It just doesn’t achieve anything.

[Red_Alligator]

I'd like to see City playing a more direct style of football, but that certainly isn't young Manning's style, so don't expect to see it. 

[Robin101]

3 minutes ago, Dr Balls said:

It is the Pep effect. The problem is that if you don’t break all the FFP rules to get the best players available at top price, it doesn’t really work so well. 

And as for that goal kick routine where the central defender plays it back to the goalkeeper centrally in the front of the goal to then either play a defender into trouble or kick it long  to the opposition from further  back in the 6 yard box, wff?!

Both sides played it and it was a complete waste of time. In terms of risk v reward, the risk is far too high for any notional reward. It just doesn’t achieve anything.

Yes, exactly what I mean. I’d have been much more frustrated with City playing silly GKs if it wasn’t for the fact Norwich returned the favour.

I said to my friend, the overriding sense I couldn’t shake during that was that we were watching a training match. Both teams going through the drills. He said it’s because that style of play is much more coachable - you do the patterns over and over again. No idea if that’s true or not.

And additionally, it’s not like when we played it around their front 3 we were suddenly bursting through at them. That would have made sense. Instead the whole pattern just seemed to shift up the pitch, until we’re on the halfway line and they’ve still got 11 men behind the ball - or vise versa.

Edited December 3, 2023 by Robin101

[formerly known as ivan]

We seem to be able to play a decent standard of football between the 30th min and half time if we are lucky. The rest of the time is dire. There is no purpose to anything we do.

[Peter1450]

It’s a little like me as a spotty youth trying to ride me bike like Barry Sheene( look him up you young guns). 
     We watch the big boys and think we can replicate it, the trouble was I used to fall off and hurt myself ! 

[Dr Balls]

Just now, Robin101 said:

Yes, exactly what I mean. I’d have been much more frustrated with City playing silly GKs if it wasn’t for the fact Norwich returned the favour.

I said to my friend, the overriding sense I couldn’t shake during that was that we were watching a training match. Both teams going through the drills. He said it’s because that style of play is much more coachable - you do the patterns over and over again. No idea if that’s true or not. 

The way to beat it is to have a player in midfield who is willing to commit players and go past them taking them out of the game and getting the ball forward quickly. Gardner-Hickman and Knight both have it in them to do this but they need to be encouraged to do so rather than coached to take the “safety first” possession pass.

[Robin101]

1 minute ago, Dr Balls said:

The way to beat it is to have a player in midfield who is willing to commit players and go past them taking them out of the game and getting the ball forward quickly. Gardner-Hickman and Knight both have it in them to do this but they need to be encouraged to do so rather than coached to take the “safety first” possession pass.

Someone like Alex Scott maybe?

[W-S-M Seagull]

That was the worst atmosphere at Ashton Gate that I've ever known.

 

I'm not over reacting when I say it was on par with the 6 nil loss to Cardiff. It was genuinely that bad. 

 

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by W-S-M Seagull

[The turtle]

9 minutes ago, Dr Balls said:

It is the Pep effect. The problem is that if you don’t break all the FFP rules to get the best players available at top price, it doesn’t really work so well. 

And as for that goal kick routine where the central defender plays it back to the goalkeeper centrally in the front of the goal to then either play a defender into trouble or kick it long  to the opposition from further  back in the 6 yard box, wff?!

Both sides played it and it was a complete waste of time. In terms of risk v reward, the risk is far too high for any notional reward. It just doesn’t achieve anything.

With live in a world where team's are now willing to take more risks in their own box than the oppositions.

Some data somewhere probably fully backs it up.

[Edgy Red]

The modern game is all about posession and i thought we had some good spells today.

Manning is clearly asking Knight and TGH to be more positive and play higher up the pitch.

It will take time to implement his style and ideas and we obviously need more quality in the final third, but i saw some positive signs today.

A draw was the least we deserved and ironically Idah who scored the winner is the type of player we need with his pace and physicality.

[Dr Balls]

2 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

That was the worst atmosphere at Ashton Gate that I've ever known.

 

I'm not over reacting when I say it was on par with the 6 nil loss to Cardiff. It was genuinely that bad. 

 

 

It’s hard to get excited when the football is akin to watching paint dry. Although the first 30 mins against Middlesbrough was even more boring until TGH scored his goal…

[noize]

Bristol City, the "England" of the championship. All about keeping possession, drawing the other team out, and then taking the opportunity. Problem is, if you have no creative flare the opportunity never comes. Classic England Horseshoe football. Yes i said "shoe"  

[Full nelson]

I think once everyone realises we are what we are and the reality of the club floating between the championship and league 1,  supporting city isn't that stressful. Just a shit ride!! The club will never reach the prem or the playoffs in the championship.

[Dr Balls]

Just now, noize said:

Bristol City, the "England" of the championship. All about keeping possession, drawing the other team out, and then taking the opportunity. Problem is, if you have no creative flare the opportunity never comes. Classic England Horseshoe football. Yes i said "shoe"  

The horseshoe being the back 4 of Pring-Dickie-Vyner-Tanner. “To-me-to-you football”.

When the centre backs have 6 times more touches than your centre forward you can pretty much guess how we played.

[pongo88]

I think part of the problem is that average managers watch teams like Man City and try to replicate their style of play. Unfortunately they ignore the fact that the players at their disposal haven’t got the same quality as those at the top of the Premier League. It would help if a bit of pragmatism was thrown into the mix and teams played to their strengths. If Manning is given plenty of time and money his style of play could easily work at City. On the other hand, if he’s got to work with a meagre budget he may struggle 

[Pezo]

28 minutes ago, Countryfile said:

I was involved in a brief discussion about enjoying football.

I didn’t enjoy the game today and the result had little to do with that.

The game today it seemed to me was all about possession and very little about entertainment.

I don’t pretend to know the answer, but if our football, and football in general doesn’t provide entertainment to spectators then what’s the point in going to a game?
 

If anyone who reads this did enjoy the game please tell me what you enjoyed?
The football from both sides was 99% flat and the crowd was 99% quite.

There's a part of me that thinks this thread doesn't get created if we win but you have a point.

Peps influence is something that gets blamed for the ticky tacka or what ever it is but Peps sides don't play like we did today they use the possession to probe and move opponents into positions to create gaps pulling opposition players out of position and then exploiting that space - we didn't do that we stood off and just passed it to each other with Norwich just stood Infront of us with no reason to move.

[Floatn Over]

14 minutes ago, Red_Alligator said:

I'd like to see City playing a more direct style of football, but that certainly isn't young Manning's style, so don't expect to see it. 

But but…..that’s what a certain Technical Director said was missing, Front Foot I recall mentioned.

[Bedred31]

Good point this. We’ve developed a generation of English players who are comfortable receiving the ball, comfortable on the ball, even under pressure, and good at seeing and making short passes. But we have v few capable of getting past opposing players, and the desire to retain possession militates against the long forward ball and risky defence splitting pass. Basically secure possession based secure football, at the expense of adventurous attacking.

[Dr Balls]

3 minutes ago, Full nelson said:

I think once everyone realises we are what we are and the reality of the club floating between the championship and league 1,  supporting city isn't that stressful. Just a shit ride!! The club will never reach the prem or the playoffs in the championship.

And why would that be? Could it be the very limited ambitions of our owners? They might say they want Premier League football but do they really? Are they willing to put their money on the line to achieve that or squirrel it away in some notional “nest egg”? The reality is that they are looking to sell to someone who really wants to go for it, because they aren’t willing to take the risk any more. They want it “on the cheap” as per Luton, because that’s the latest model for success apparently, I.e. a young lower league manager and a squad of limited players getting lucky.