Match Report: Familiar script promises much, delivers little

[Olé]

Liam Manning is finding out the hard way that the Championship is a results business that rewards the brave and punishes the inexperienced. The new City boss' much changed and naively predictable brand of football has promised much and delivered little in recent weeks and so it was no great surprise at Ewood Park that his team once again promised much and delivered very little and slipped to a third defeat in four - Manning now with the worst league start as manager since the man who appointed him - Tinnion - 20 years and 10 managers ago.

The script is quickly becoming a familiar one - control the game for much of the first half yet with zero end product or ambition in the opposition box, get caught out at the back and go behind, run out of ideas second half, remove our best player and finish the game tamely finding no way back in. At Blackburn there were all these ingredients as against the run of play Sammie Szmodics was able to take advantage of soft marking to setup Arnor Sigurdsson's opener, and right after half time Scott Wharton was one of several to be queueing up to bury a far post header. 

Jason Knight was by some distance City's best player, often exhibiting single handed invention and purpose - and it was he that crafted Mark Sykes unerring goal back on the hour mark, before looking most likely to find an equaliser by forcing 3 sharp saves - so the small massed rank of travelling fans were left baffled when both players were hauled off for the final quarter hour. This left Manning's men to finish another fixture with little of the quality or belief needed to rally a rousing finish - allowing out of form Rovers to claim a win their fans felt barely merited.

Like Huddersfield on Saturday and each of City's recent outings, it was they that were in control of possession and tempo from the start, although found Blackburn defensively solid around their own box as an attritional opening developed. After 10 minutes Knight spun away from his marker in midfield and sent Sam Bell clear down the left to laser a rising effort well over. On the quarter hour Joe Williams caught Rovers in possession outside the Rovers box and setup Tommy Conway on the edge of the area who fired over the bar with City's closest sight of goal. 

Knight was already lookimg the pick of the players and inside 20 minutes Zak Vyner did well to race across and mop up a Blackburn opening before sending the all action Irish midfielder clear down the right, but as is so often the way at the moment, he didn't have many targets and could not centre the ball. Next Rob Dickie stole the ball and charged upfield to feed Knight, who beat two players and forced a corner. Yet again City wouldn't capitalise on their start and the hosts rallied as Szmodics curled a low free kick just past the post after Dickie was harshly penalised.

Two minutes later they would be in front. A spell of pressure building around City's box without any challenge saw Szmodics skip away from a half hearted challenge and lay off to Sigurdson in the box to curl past Max O'Leary. Manning's side visibly withered and only had George Tanner's long run down the right in response, but despite teammates all piling into the area, as is now typical his low cross was poor and easily cut out. Rovers finished the half on top, picking their passes and Szmodics had a low shot pushed wide.

Before the game home fans told us they did not expect much after recent poor form but within five minutes of the restart Blackburn were 2 ahead. Andrew Moran had already been allowed to run far too easily down the left and into the box where he cut back for Szmodics whose first shot was blocked and second well over. But with City all at sea, a minute later from a corner on the opposite flank Rovers had players queuing up at the far post and Wharton rose highest to bury a close range header past O'Leary - two goals down uncharted territory this season.

Conway had his now customary one on one, roaring in from the right channel only to fire wide of the opposite post in front of visiting supporters. Manning reacted by making a triple change, Taylor Gardner-Hickman, Anis Mehmeti and Harry Cornick replacing City's  striker, as well as Bell and Williams. On the hour they got one back, stealing possession in midfield as Knight roamed upfield to the edge of the box before laying into the path of Sykes sprint in from the right, the winger slamming the ball goalwards, spinning into the top corner off Leo Wahlstedt's hands.

Blackburn did well to stall City's attempt to up the tempo and it was ten minutes before the visitors rallied again. Mehmeti worked it inside to Matty James and that man Knight turned brilliantly to find space and force the keeper to tip his low shot wide. Next another Mehmeti run into the box was wrongly ruled by a distant linesman to have crossed the byline, before from another break, Sykes went streaming down the right on a surging run, somehow holding off the challenge of a marker to square for Knight edge of the box to turn quickly and force the keeper to parry.  

A minute later Cam Pring, back in Manning's side, got to the byline and crossed into the box where Knight beat his man and headed dangerously just under the bar but into the keepers grateful hands. City were starting to turn up the heat in search of an equaliser so there was palpable disbelief in the away end as both Knight and goalscorer Sykes were immediately taken off for Andi Weimann and youngster Ephraim Yeboah. And that was it as a serious contest, City relying on a slice of magic from the frustratingly predictable cut inside of Mehmeti or rawness of Yeboah.

Mehmeti started a move from out on the left which Gardner-Hickman eventually worked back across to him to force the keeper into parrying away at the near post, and in injury time the Albanian winger wrestled his way past a marker in the area and flashed the ball across the face of goal which Yeboah was a yard short of converting. But in truth City looked lost, probing tamely outside the box, insisting on passing without conviction or quality to do so. Twice moves broke down cheaply for Blackburn to break, Sigurdson and Hayden Carter both close to a third.

It would have given the game a lopsided feel but may at least have highlighted the futility of Manning's increasingly predictable style - controlling long spells of possession in deep positions but without end product or quality in advanced areas, and apparently without a Plan B. A dogmatic insistence on sticking to this right to the very end suggests a one dimensional naivety to the creativity that is needed in the Championship and especially to win games and players look like they are shackled by the system and playing within themselves. Manning has much to prove.

O'Leary 5

Tanner 4

Pring 5

Vyner 6

Dickie 7

Williams 6

James 5

Knight 9

Sykes 7

Bell 5

Conway 4

 

Gardner-Hickman 6

Mehmeti 6

Cornick 5

Weimann 5

Yeboah 6

[Silvio Dante]

9 minutes ago, Olé said:

It would have given the game a lopsided feel but may at least have highlighted the futility of Manning's increasingly predictable style - controlling long spells of possession in deep positions but without end product or quality in advanced areas, and apparently without a Plan B. A dogmatic insistence on sticking to this right to the very end suggests a one dimensional naivety to the creativity that is needed in the Championship and especially to win games and players look like they are shackled by the system and playing within themselves. Manning has much to prove.

 

Nail on head Rob.

[megansdad]

for me the most frustrating part was the incessant kicking from O'Leary - each time giving the ball to Blackburn. Only when we started to play out from the back when 2-0 down did we progress the ball with any guile. Otherwise we relied upon interceptions or Dickie and Vyner stepping out (which they did well). A poor performance with the notable exception of Knight who was a bright light in the gloom.

[Super]

14 minutes ago, Olé said:

Liam Manning is finding out the hard way that the Championship is a results business that rewards the brave and punishes the inexperienced. The new City boss' much changed and naively predictable brand of football has promised much and delivered little in recent weeks and so it was no great surprise at Ewood Park that his team once again promised much and delivered very little and slipped to a third defeat in four - Manning now with the worst league start as manager since the man who appointed him - Tinnion - 20 years and 10 managers ago.

The script is quickly becoming a familiar one - control the game for much of the first half yet with zero end product or ambition in the opposition box, get caught out at the back and go behind, run out of ideas second half, remove our best player and finish the game tamely finding no way back in. At Blackburn there were all these ingredients as against the run of play Sammie Szmodics was able to take advantage of soft marking to setup Arnor Sigurdsson's opener, and right after half time Scott Wharton was one of several to be queueing up to bury a far post header. 

Jason Knight was by some distance City's best player, often exhibiting single handed invention and purpose - and it was he that crafted Mark Sykes unerring goal back on the hour mark, before looking most likely to find an equaliser by forcing 3 sharp saves - so the small massed rank of travelling fans were left baffled when both players were hauled off for the final quarter hour. This left Manning's men to finish another fixture with little of the quality or belief needed to rally a rousing finish - allowing out of form Rovers to claim a win their fans felt barely merited.

Like Huddersfield on Saturday and each of City's recent outings, it was they that were in control of possession and tempo from the start, although found Blackburn defensively solid around their own box as an attritional opening developed. After 10 minutes Knight spun away from his marker in midfield and sent Sam Bell clear down the left to laser a rising effort well over. On the quarter hour Joe Williams caught Rovers in possession outside the Rovers box and setup Tommy Conway on the edge of the area who fired over the bar with City's closest sight of goal. 

Knight was already lookimg the pick of the players and inside 20 minutes Zak Vyner did well to race across and mop up a Blackburn opening before sending the all action Irish midfielder clear down the right, but as is so often the way at the moment, he didn't have many targets and could not centre the ball. Next Rob Dickie stole the ball and charged upfield to feed Knight, who beat two players and forced a corner. Yet again City wouldn't capitalise on their start and the hosts rallied as Szmodics curled a low free kick just past the post after Dickie was harshly penalised.

Two minutes later they would be in front. A spell of pressure building around City's box without any challenge saw Szmodics skip away from a half hearted challenge and lay off to Sigurdson in the box to curl past Max O'Leary. Manning's side visibly withered and only had George Tanner's long run down the right in response, but despite teammates all piling into the area, as is now typical his low cross was poor and easily cut out. Rovers finished the half on top, picking their passes and Szmodics had a low shot pushed wide.

Before the game home fans told us they did not expect much after recent poor form but within five minutes of the restart Blackburn were 2 ahead. Andrew Moran had already been allowed to run far too easily down the left and into the box where he cut back for Szmodics whose first shot was blocked and second well over. But with City all at sea, a minute later from a corner on the opposite flank Rovers had players queuing up at the far post and Wharton rose highest to bury a close range header past O'Leary - two goals down uncharted territory this season.

Conway had his now customary one on one, roaring in from the right channel only to fire wide of the opposite post in front of visiting supporters. Manning reacted by making a triple change, Taylor Gardner-Hickman, Anis Mehmeti and Harry Cornick replacing City's  striker, as well as Bell and Williams. On the hour they got one back, stealing possession in midfield as Knight roamed upfield to the edge of the box before laying into the path of Sykes sprint in from the right, the winger slamming the ball goalwards, spinning into the top corner off Leo Wahlstedt's hands.

Blackburn did well to stall City's attempt to up the tempo and it was ten minutes before the visitors rallied again. Mehmeti worked it inside to Matty James and that man Knight turned brilliantly to find space and force the keeper to tip his low shot wide. Next another Mehmeti run into the box was wrongly ruled by a distant linesman to have crossed the byline, before from another break, Sykes went streaming down the right on a surging run, somehow holding off the challenge of a marker to square for Knight edge of the box to turn quickly and force the keeper to parry.  

A minute later Cam Pring, back in Manning's side, got to the byline and crossed into the box where Knight beat his man and headed dangerously just under the bar but into the keepers grateful hands. City were starting to turn up the heat in search of an equaliser so there was palpable disbelief in the away end as both Knight and goalscorer Sykes were immediately taken off for Andi Weimann and youngster Ephraim Yeboah. And that was it as a serious contest, City relying on a slice of magic from the frustratingly predictable cut inside of Mehmeti or rawness of Yeboah.

Mehmeti started a move from out on the left which Gardner-Hickman eventually worked back across to him to force the keeper into parrying away at the near post, and in injury time the Albanian winger wrestled his way past a marker in the area and flashed the ball across the face of goal which Yeboah was a yard short of converting. But in truth City looked lost, probing tamely outside the box, insisting on passing without conviction or quality to do so. Twice moves broke down cheaply for Blackburn to break, Sigurdson and Hayden Carter both close to a third.

It would have given the game a lopsided feel but may at least have highlighted the futility of Manning's increasingly predictable style - controlling long spells of possession in deep positions but without end product or quality in advanced areas, and apparently without a Plan B. A dogmatic insistence on sticking to this right to the very end suggests a one dimensional naivety to the creativity that is needed in the Championship and especially to win games and players look like they are shackled by the system and playing within themselves. Manning has much to prove.

O'Leary 5

Tanner 4

Pring 5

Vyner 6

Dickie 7

Williams 6

James 5

Knight 9

Sykes 7

Bell 5

Conway 4

 

Gardner-Hickman 6

Mehmeti 6

Cornick 5

Weimann 5

Yeboah 6

Good write up. I'd probably swap the ratings for Bell and Conway.

[Nomad]

I'm no Cornick fan but 5 is harsh. Thought he was very lively during his cameo. Lacks end product for sure but offered more than others last night.

Edited December 13, 2023 by Nomad

[bcfc01]

50 minutes ago, Olé said:

Liam Manning is finding out the hard way that the Championship is a results business that rewards the brave and punishes the inexperienced. The new City boss' much changed and naively predictable brand of football has promised much and delivered little in recent weeks and so it was no great surprise at Ewood Park that his team once again promised much and delivered very little and slipped to a third defeat in four - Manning now with the worst league start as manager since the man who appointed him - Tinnion - 20 years and 10 managers ago.

The script is quickly becoming a familiar one - control the game for much of the first half yet with zero end product or ambition in the opposition box, get caught out at the back and go behind, run out of ideas second half, remove our best player and finish the game tamely finding no way back in. At Blackburn there were all these ingredients as against the run of play Sammie Szmodics was able to take advantage of soft marking to setup Arnor Sigurdsson's opener, and right after half time Scott Wharton was one of several to be queueing up to bury a far post header. 

Jason Knight was by some distance City's best player, often exhibiting single handed invention and purpose - and it was he that crafted Mark Sykes unerring goal back on the hour mark, before looking most likely to find an equaliser by forcing 3 sharp saves - so the small massed rank of travelling fans were left baffled when both players were hauled off for the final quarter hour. This left Manning's men to finish another fixture with little of the quality or belief needed to rally a rousing finish - allowing out of form Rovers to claim a win their fans felt barely merited.

Like Huddersfield on Saturday and each of City's recent outings, it was they that were in control of possession and tempo from the start, although found Blackburn defensively solid around their own box as an attritional opening developed. After 10 minutes Knight spun away from his marker in midfield and sent Sam Bell clear down the left to laser a rising effort well over. On the quarter hour Joe Williams caught Rovers in possession outside the Rovers box and setup Tommy Conway on the edge of the area who fired over the bar with City's closest sight of goal. 

Knight was already lookimg the pick of the players and inside 20 minutes Zak Vyner did well to race across and mop up a Blackburn opening before sending the all action Irish midfielder clear down the right, but as is so often the way at the moment, he didn't have many targets and could not centre the ball. Next Rob Dickie stole the ball and charged upfield to feed Knight, who beat two players and forced a corner. Yet again City wouldn't capitalise on their start and the hosts rallied as Szmodics curled a low free kick just past the post after Dickie was harshly penalised.

Two minutes later they would be in front. A spell of pressure building around City's box without any challenge saw Szmodics skip away from a half hearted challenge and lay off to Sigurdson in the box to curl past Max O'Leary. Manning's side visibly withered and only had George Tanner's long run down the right in response, but despite teammates all piling into the area, as is now typical his low cross was poor and easily cut out. Rovers finished the half on top, picking their passes and Szmodics had a low shot pushed wide.

Before the game home fans told us they did not expect much after recent poor form but within five minutes of the restart Blackburn were 2 ahead. Andrew Moran had already been allowed to run far too easily down the left and into the box where he cut back for Szmodics whose first shot was blocked and second well over. But with City all at sea, a minute later from a corner on the opposite flank Rovers had players queuing up at the far post and Wharton rose highest to bury a close range header past O'Leary - two goals down uncharted territory this season.

Conway had his now customary one on one, roaring in from the right channel only to fire wide of the opposite post in front of visiting supporters. Manning reacted by making a triple change, Taylor Gardner-Hickman, Anis Mehmeti and Harry Cornick replacing City's  striker, as well as Bell and Williams. On the hour they got one back, stealing possession in midfield as Knight roamed upfield to the edge of the box before laying into the path of Sykes sprint in from the right, the winger slamming the ball goalwards, spinning into the top corner off Leo Wahlstedt's hands.

Blackburn did well to stall City's attempt to up the tempo and it was ten minutes before the visitors rallied again. Mehmeti worked it inside to Matty James and that man Knight turned brilliantly to find space and force the keeper to tip his low shot wide. Next another Mehmeti run into the box was wrongly ruled by a distant linesman to have crossed the byline, before from another break, Sykes went streaming down the right on a surging run, somehow holding off the challenge of a marker to square for Knight edge of the box to turn quickly and force the keeper to parry.  

A minute later Cam Pring, back in Manning's side, got to the byline and crossed into the box where Knight beat his man and headed dangerously just under the bar but into the keepers grateful hands. City were starting to turn up the heat in search of an equaliser so there was palpable disbelief in the away end as both Knight and goalscorer Sykes were immediately taken off for Andi Weimann and youngster Ephraim Yeboah. And that was it as a serious contest, City relying on a slice of magic from the frustratingly predictable cut inside of Mehmeti or rawness of Yeboah.

Mehmeti started a move from out on the left which Gardner-Hickman eventually worked back across to him to force the keeper into parrying away at the near post, and in injury time the Albanian winger wrestled his way past a marker in the area and flashed the ball across the face of goal which Yeboah was a yard short of converting. But in truth City looked lost, probing tamely outside the box, insisting on passing without conviction or quality to do so. Twice moves broke down cheaply for Blackburn to break, Sigurdson and Hayden Carter both close to a third.

It would have given the game a lopsided feel but may at least have highlighted the futility of Manning's increasingly predictable style - controlling long spells of possession in deep positions but without end product or quality in advanced areas, and apparently without a Plan B. A dogmatic insistence on sticking to this right to the very end suggests a one dimensional naivety to the creativity that is needed in the Championship and especially to win games and players look like they are shackled by the system and playing within themselves. Manning has much to prove.

O'Leary 5

Tanner 4

Pring 5

Vyner 6

Dickie 7

Williams 6

James 5

Knight 9

Sykes 7

Bell 5

Conway 4

 

Gardner-Hickman 6

Mehmeti 6

Cornick 5

Weimann 5

Yeboah 6

Thanks for that, another good balanced report.

Knight deserved a goal, possibly the best I've seen from him.

But Max was woeful in his distribution, Tanners crossing is erratic, Pring is a shadow of what he was, Bell is ineffective at the moment.

But Mehmeti looked much more confident and caused them a few problems.

Blackburn looked exactly as expected, very quick accurate passing, front foot football, but their defence isn't the best and we didn't have enough to take advantage.

A lot of questions to be answered for LM between now and saturday.

[Silvio Dante]

4 minutes ago, bcfc01 said:

Thanks for that, another good balanced report.

Knight deserved a goal, possibly the best I've seen from him.

But Max was woeful in his distribution, Tanners crossing is erratic, Pring is a shadow of what he was, Bell is ineffective at the moment.

But Mehmeti looked much more confident and caused them a few problems.

Blackburn looked exactly as expected, very quick accurate passing, front foot football, but their defence isn't the best and we didn't have enough to take advantage.

A lot of questions to be answered for LM between now and saturday.

Dont worry, Tommys up for it!

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-city-star-learns-curb-8967557

[bcfc01]

52 minutes ago, megansdad said:

for me the most frustrating part was the incessant kicking from O'Leary - each time giving the ball to Blackburn. Only when we started to play out from the back when 2-0 down did we progress the ball with any guile. Otherwise we relied upon interceptions or Dickie and Vyner stepping out (which they did well). A poor performance with the notable exception of Knight who was a bright light in the gloom.

Yep, its very frustrating when you see an easy 10 yard pass on and he lumps it upfield straight to the opposition. I was hoping Manning would at least get him to do less of it, but he keeps doing it. I fail to see how we can expect to play the way LM is advocating with Max in goal. He gifts the opposition the ball consistently and is slow to release it. All other aspects are fine and he's improved with age, but his distribution is awful, not good enough and he's had enough time to sort it out.

[bcfc01]

3 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

Dont worry, Tommys up for it!

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-city-star-learns-curb-8967557

Been waiting for that, what you put around, comes around.

But he didn't look up for it last night tbh.

Still have great faith in him, he'll come good.

[Silvio Dante]

1 minute ago, bcfc01 said:

Been waiting for that, what you put around, comes around.

But he didn't look up for it last night tbh.

Still have great faith in him, he'll come good.

And I genuinely hope I get the same treatment vis my current critique of Manning. I’m not holding my breath, but if he does end up being a success you have carte Blanche to quote anything back.

[Red0499]

47 minutes ago, Nomad said:

I'm no Cornick fan but 5 is harsh. Thought he was very lively during his cameo. Lacks end product for sure but offered more than others last night.

Totally agree. Thought he unsettled Blackburn and that combined with getting Mehmeti on the ball higher up the pitch gave us a decent spell. For me only Bell was sub par. Tanner wasn't great but 4 is harsh. Dickie was excellent.

This report paints a much bleaker picture than I came away with. We certainly lack a bit of cutting edge going forward but we created enough last night. A point would have been fair.