Best we've played in years

[Merrick's Marvels]

2 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

I didn’t look at it like that tbh. For me tonight is the first game I’ve seen at the Gate where we had a real identity. Yes we need to add quality and goals, that’s obvious, but if we start controlling large parts of games like we did tonight then I can see progress.

I’ve seen us win tens of games over the last 4-5 years when we’ve barely been in control for 15 minutes of the 90. So I’ll take that tonight IF that’s the style and general performance level going forward.

Bingo!

[Yozzarian]

Don't know if it's the best we've played in years but I do know that in stark contrast to last Saturday, I enjoyed the game and atmosphere. 

Edited January 26 by Yozzarian

[95red]

Yes cup football  been a delight  ,league  form awful  ,need to start picking  up points  ,let's see the true stuff.

[Numero Uno]

Just now, 95red said:

Yes cup football  been a delight  ,league  form awful  ,need to start picking  up points  ,let's see the true stuff.

Agree entirely but tonight was a start for me.

[cellist]

Biggest compliment to is that Nuno made 2 subs at half time including bringing on Gibbs White. They came out a little more lively in the second half, but we still held our own.

Don't know if it's quite the best we've played in years - difficult to judge. Pearson and other previous managers haven't sent us out to control a game like Manning likes to. Probably the best opposition on paper that we have looked comfortable on the ball against? (I admit, this is not as catchy as the thread title!)

Either way - onwards an upwards. Yes no shots on target tonight, but a few good openings and some blocked shots against a side a level above. We are without our most effective player this season (Sykes) and also without Twine - who Manning obviously rates having worked with him before, and presumably fits well into Manning's idea of how we want to play. Under Holden we could barely win a corner, that's not that long ago! SO broadly in agreement with the optimism of the original post!

[glynriley]

1 hour ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Well played, every man jack of you. Proud of the lot of you tonight, coaches included. Completely dominant, modern and progressive. Front foot football !

Have to agree, thought we were excellent tonight, apart from scoring.
 

Back 5 were excellent, Maxuel Neuer was sweeping and positioning himself better than I’ve seen , but a special mention to Matty James for me. Thought he was outstanding .

 

[Puckle_red]

I've no idea what game others have watched but we passed it round the back, occasionally got wide only to have a cross blocked - dull. It feels like we are coached to within an inch of our lives with absolutely no attacking freedom.

[Robbored]

6 minutes ago, steviestevieneville said:

How can you say hold the ball up & fam in the same sentence . He had feet made of trampolines. We need recreation no doubt though 

 

6 minutes ago, steviestevieneville said:

How can you say hold the ball up & fam in the same sentence . He had feet made of trampolines. We need recreation no doubt though 

Famara was an excellent CF. Good in the air in both boxes, bullied defenders and wasn’t as poor with the ball at feet as some think. Sure he wasn’t a natural goalscorer but created plenty of chaos in the opposing box allowing others chances.

A player in that mould would an excellent addition but it’ll be the summer before we’ll see whether Manning agrees.

[joe jordans teeth]

1 hour ago, Slack Bladder said:

We did play well, but I never felt excited at any point tonight

Hopefully the shots on target and goals will come in time 

This is bang on the money and why 2 people are confused I don’t know,as will probably be said when I read down we don’t half need a proper striker 

Edited January 26 by joe jordans teeth

[38MC]

1 hour ago, Loco Rojo said:

I can only asume he's still being brought back carefully after such a long spell out. Good management.  Good point about Tanner. I think he plays with more confidence with McCrorie. 

It’s one thing I am starting to see in Manning’s short era, there are some real partnerships and understandings being created. Pring and Mehmeti seem to get each other and know when to overload on the left or defend as a unit, Tanner and McCrorie the exact same. Vyner being the lynchpin in the whole of defence. 

The partnerships that aren’t being created is up top. And maybe that’s the last piece in the jigsaw. Conway is just far too isolated at the moment. He’s dangerous when he’s being a Lone Ranger and creating his own chaos, when we attack as a team he’s just not around. I don’t know yet if it’s incompatibility or something that can be improved. Wells isn’t the answer either. We don’t look any better when we swap them. 
 

im not yet jumping on the bandwagon that we don’t create chances. I think we do create dangerous ‘situations’, we’re just getting blocked out as I think we overplay and try to walk the ball in. I think our forwards need more freedom to just hit the bloody ball towards goal rather than try to create a high xg chance. Ain’t there a phrase ‘it’s the chances you don’t take that you lose’ or something. I think applies to us - and often to most ‘new wave’ managers. You can fanny around to create a high xg chance, or you can pot shot at a higher proportion of lower xg chances. I much favour the latter. 

Edited January 26 by 38MC

[Spike]

1 hour ago, Major Isewater said:

Just lacking that quality striker . 

People keep saying this but how many chances did we create for Conway and how many do we ever? I don't think it's down to his positioning either, I don't think any striker would thrive as we're playing at the moment. I agree with many in that we're playing better football to watch, we look more organised and we're definitely looking better at the back but when did Conway ever have a good pass to run onto or a cross that he could have connected with, same with Wells. 
I think our best chances rarely come to the strikers and in all fairness to Conway he finishes as many as he misses. I think that's our weakest part of this new football, supply to the striker and I honestly think we could spend a fortune on a marquee striker signing and still not see goals from that position if the play were not to change. 

I saw suggestions of a big strong striker to hold up the ball, which would definitely benefit us compared to the current strikers we have, but then we'd have to rely a lot on the players around this strong striker to score the goals as he'd end up dropping into that deep 9 position with runs coming off of him. There is no easy answer IMO, big, strong strikers who are also able to convert are not cheap or easy to find, it's one of those positions that usually set you back a pretty penny or just don't have all the abilities that you need for that kind of lone roll. We're definitely going to have a lot of competition for those types of players.

[joe jordans teeth]

21 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

I didn’t look at it like that tbh. For me tonight is the first game I’ve seen at the Gate where we had a real identity. Yes we need to add quality and goals, that’s obvious, but if we start controlling large parts of games like we did tonight then I can see progress.

I’ve seen us win tens of games over the last 4-5 years when we’ve barely been in control for 15 minutes of the 90. So I’ll take that tonight IF that’s the style and general performance level going forward.

No disrespect but can we shove “identity” down the same hole it came up from,I know it’s a cool thing to say but Jesus 

[RollsRoyce]

1 hour ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Well played, every man jack of you. Proud of the lot of you tonight, coaches included. Completely dominant, modern and progressive. Front foot football !

Yes we played well. But seriously.

Robbored has finally met his match. 

[GrahamC]

13 minutes ago, glynriley said:

Have to agree, thought we were excellent tonight, apart from scoring.
 

Back 5 were excellent, Maxuel Neuer was sweeping and positioning himself better than I’ve seen , but a special mention to Matty James for me. Thought he was outstanding .

 

James is some pro.

I believe he didn’t train for the majority of this week because he’s been ill & then comes out & does that.

Class.

[Merrick's Marvels]

13 minutes ago, Puckle_red said:

I've no idea what game others have watched but we passed it round the back, occasionally got wide only to have a cross blocked - dull. It feels like we are coached to within an inch of our lives with absolutely no attacking freedom.

We dominated possession against Premier League opposition.

Whereas we've spent years barely able to string 3 passes together, relying on counter attacks and being half decent at "pressing"

Tonight we looked like we could play football, proper football.

The attacking improvements are needed and will come. Probably needs new players for that though - so the summer.

Edited January 26 by Merrick's Marvels

[Dr Balls]

Lots of “nice football”, some players really stepping up, but no cutting edge, as confirmed by not a single shot on target. Conway is not a lone striker and the lad is living off scraps at best. Not helped by him struggling to stay onside.

The reality is that we are not likely to be hammered by anyone other than a really good team (but that was also true under Pearson) but by the same token we are unlikely to get a hatful of goals in a match, Watford away being the exception as we played on the break, which is still the tactic that suits us best considering who we have up front.

Edited January 26 by Dr Balls

[2015]

Not sure it was the best we've played in years. We played decent, but never looked like scoring.

[You Do The Dziekanowski]

12 minutes ago, joe jordans teeth said:

This is bang on the money and why 2 people are confused I don’t know,as will probably be said when I read down we don’t half need a proper striker 

Without Twine, it’s pointless having a LW out there. Mehmeti offers very little and McRorie is naturally going to be deeper than a RW. 
 

If we were to start Wells/Cornick and Conway, I feel we’d offer more going forward. And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t rate either Wells or Cornick…. 
 

just seems like we’re very balanced at the back and midfield, with players complimenting each other well. Then up top, it’s all over the place really 

[38MC]

9 minutes ago, Spike said:

People keep saying this but how many chances did we create for Conway and how many do we ever? 

I think that’s the problem. We try to create the perfect chance. Take more low percentage chances. If you’re Man City and have Rhodri and will win the ball back and recycle and go again numerous times you can walk the ball in, if you’re Bristol city, we’re better off taking more risks by having more pot shots and longer range efforts than trying to fashion one-on-ones. It’s why I don’t like a lot of modern football. It’s trying to replicate what the elite is capable of doing without adapting to your own limitations. 

Edited January 26 by 38MC

[Puckle_red]

18 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

We dominated possession against Premier League opposition.

Whereas we've spent years barely able to string 3 passes together, relying on counter attacks and being half decent at "pressing"

Tonight we looked like we could play football, proper football.

The attacking improvements are needed and will come. Probably needs new players for that though - so the summer.

Possession for possessions sake in my eyes. We don't play dangerous balls with attacking flair. We just work the ball wide, play it to the free man then cross it.

Dont get me wrong, this is a level we rarely excel at (I appreciate tonight was an FA Cup game against a decent outfit), but I'm not excited by our play, we rarely threaten at the moment. We rarely do anything much, it's safe, passive yet solid football. Defensively we look decent.

[W-S-M Seagull]

1 hour ago, Loco Rojo said:

McCrorie - wow. What a player we have and considering how long he's been out as well, how natural he's fitted in. The guy is fantastic and will only get better.

Absolutely fantastic. Can't wait to see more from him. 

I knew him being injured was a big miss for us, others are now starting to see it too. 

[steviestevieneville]

43 minutes ago, Robbored said:

 

Famara was an excellent CF. Good in the air in both boxes, bullied defenders and wasn’t as poor with the ball at feet as some think. Sure he wasn’t a natural goalscorer but created plenty of chaos in the opposing box allowing others chances.

A player in that mould would an excellent addition but it’ll be the summer before we’ll see whether Manning agrees.

No he wasn’t , if you know the slightest thing about how a no9 should play. There was so much wrong with his game . 

[W-S-M Seagull]

26 minutes ago, You Do The Dziekanowski said:

Without Twine, it’s pointless having a LW out there. Mehmeti offers very little and McRorie is naturally going to be deeper than a RW. 
 

If we were to start Wells/Cornick and Conway, I feel we’d offer more going forward. And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t rate either Wells or Cornick…. 
 

just seems like we’re very balanced at the back and midfield, with players complimenting each other well. Then up top, it’s all over the place really 

Personally I'd start with Cornick as the lone striker. I think he is the most physical striker we've got. Whilst he may not be a clinical finisher. I think his all round game is better suited to the lone striker role than it is for Conway or Bell. 

He will battle for every single ball. He isn't afraid to get physical and he works his arse off. 

[joe jordans teeth]

27 minutes ago, 38MC said:

I think that’s the problem. We try to create the perfect chance. Take more low percentage chances. If you’re Man City and have Rhodri and will win the ball back and recycle and go again numerous times you can walk the ball in, if you’re Bristol city, we’re better off taking more risks by having more pot shots and longer range efforts than trying to fashion one-on-ones. It’s why I don’t like a lot of modern football. It’s trying to replicate what the elite is capable of doing without adapting to your own limitations. 

Modern football is crap let’s be honest,bloody hate scousers but give me a Liverpool over Man City every day of the week if I had to watch a game on a Sunday 

[Riaz]

We played well. But it wasn’t the best performance from this season, let alone “years”

[38MC]

1 minute ago, joe jordans teeth said:

Modern football is crap let’s be honest,bloody hate scousers but give me a Liverpool over Man City every day of the week if I had to watch a game on a Sunday 

Same here. So many try to clone Man City’s way of playing when in reality it takes a £billion to get players capable of passing triangles and close control around the box. I don’t get why teams up and down the land try to persevere with it, and forget Liverpool aside the only team who knocked Man City off their perch were an all action Leicester. 

[ProfitInMyPocket]

Different striker won't make much difference, still will be feeding off scraps. 

Need a proper forward/ creative player in that right side slot instead of Knight, preferably Sykes when he returns. 

Have a feeling he won't get many chances now and might get shunted to wingback cover like Bell is doing.

 

[Rocking Red Cyril]

Really enjoyed tonite we had a real go and I felt Forest just did not like it one bit. We are still a side in development with LM and his project and players returning from injury. So zi just feel have to see the positives and the form and goals will come. But I don't expect to happen early enough for a serious push up the league this season. Oh is there news of Forest tickets yet ?

[GrahamC]

43 minutes ago, You Do The Dziekanowski said:

Without Twine, it’s pointless having a LW out there. Mehmeti offers very little and McRorie is naturally going to be deeper than a RW. 
 

If we were to start Wells/Cornick and Conway, I feel we’d offer more going forward. And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t rate either Wells or Cornick…. 
 

just seems like we’re very balanced at the back and midfield, with players complimenting each other well. Then up top, it’s all over the place really 

Mehmeti was excellent first half, him & Pring caused them loads of problems & resulted in 2 yellow cards.

Not so good second half (he’s the epitome of inconsistent) but his recent performances have been really encouraging & certainly not pointless.

[38MC]

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

Personally I'd start with Cornick as the lone striker. I think he is the most physical striker we've got. Whilst he may not be a clinical finisher. I think his all round game is better suited to the lone striker role than it is for Conway or Bell. 

He will battle for every single ball. He isn't afraid to get physical and he works his arse off. 

I don’t think the type of striker is the problem, it’s how you feed the striker. For me XG and all the data analytics is killing football. Pre-nerds, generally you shoot on sight. Then analytics came in and it was ‘oh you’re better off shooting from this position so try and fashion it’. 

What that approach completely misses is compound effect. If you have an XG of say .33 in one position, improving XG dictates you try to create a better chance. but most footballers outside the elite just aren’t that capable.

for me how is the current approach  better if 9/10 you don’t create a better chance, which is often the case for non-elite players. For me the answer is it ain’t and you’re better off taking more lower XG chances than you are overplaying and losing the ball or the chance altogether. Football has been massively over complicated.