Great Result In The End

[yessir]

That must have been a hell of a half time team talk, these players don't give up, p--s poor first half, gj deserves credit for going for it basically 5 up front second half

[Nibor]

No, it was a poor result against a side we should have taken 3 points off handily. Playing shite in the first half doesn't somehow make a draw OK.

Good strength of character shown by the players but let's see a bit more consistency so we don't get into the holes in the first place.

[yessir]

Agreed, but in previous times we'd of lost 4-0

[Maltshoveller]

I have watched City since mid 80s

In that time i have seen city teams play alot

better football than the current one does

But this team shows more heart and has

more bottle than any other city side i have watched

[Robbored]

No, it was a poor result against a side we should have taken 3 points off handily. Playing shite in the first half doesn't somehow make a draw OK.

Good strength of character shown by the players but let's see a bit more consistency so we don't get into the holes in the first place.

Dead right.

Can anyone explain how City can be so poor in the first half? Its not the first time that Johnson has had to give them all a bollocking just to get them to start playing.If they had stormed the first half in the same way they stormed the second they would have won the game comfortably.

I just don't understand it.

[Nibor]

this team shows more heart and has

more bottle than any other city side i have watched

I'd put this team second behind Jordan's side first time around 88/89/90 for heart, I agree it certainly is a strong point of the team and credit to them and GJ for that.

I just wish we didn't need to rely on it so often.

[dezgimed]

I think its completely idiotic to leave Brooker out to be honest.

At his best he's better than Enoch and Jevons combined, as probably better than the latter when half fit.

I don't understand why he's being left out, if he's off in January then i'll be outraged.

Get him back on boxing day for god sake

[LSR]

piss poor result ,we shouldnt have let them score..we could have been on 42 points with one game inhad and 2 points off top of table..instead we drew with a relegation boubd t eM.

[Guest jackhammered]

Dead right.

Can anyone explain how City can be so poor in the first half? Its not the first time that Johnson has had to give them all a bollocking just to get them to start playing.If they had stormed the first half in the same way they stormed the second they would have won the game comfortably.

I just don't understand it.

Maybe Johnson isn't giving them the required team-talk before the game.If he is going to be credited with shaking them up at half-time then he has to be dis-credited for not doing so before kick-off.

Can't have it both ways.

[LSR]

I think its completely idiotic to leave Brooker out to be honest.

At his best he's better than Enoch and Jevons combined, as probably better than the latter when half fit.

I don't understand why he's being left out, if he's off in January then i'll be outraged.

Get him back on boxing day for god sake

I WOULDNT SAY THAT ...ENOCH HAS MORE GOLAS ...ID SAY HE IS DEF BETTER THAN JEVONS BUT NOT THE PAIR PUT TOGETHER ..WE NOT 3RD BECAUSE OF BROOKER BUT BECAUSE OF TEAM EFFORT WITHOUT BROOKER....OUR FORM HAS HAPPEND SINCE BROOKER HURT HIMSELF AND WAS CHUCKED IN JAIL..DOES THAT TELL US SOMETHING OR AM I JUST BEING HARSE.

[Ian M]

No, it was a poor result against a side we should have taken 3 points off handily. Playing shite in the first half doesn't somehow make a draw OK.

Good strength of character shown by the players but let's see a bit more consistency so we don't get into the holes in the first place.

Agreed, especially when "not winning" costs me in the region of £1000 in bets lost

Betting is a mug's game kids

[mozo]

I'd put this team second behind Jordan's side first time around 88/89/90 for heart, I agree it certainly is a strong point of the team and credit to them and GJ for that.

Agreed.

I'm sure if Gary Johnson could orchestrate perfection he would but we can't expect to win every game, with goals coming in our preferred order. We aren't far short of Forest so must be on the right track.

[Nibor]

Agreed.

I'm sure if Gary Johnson could orchestrate perfection he would but we can't expect to win every game, with goals coming in our preferred order. We aren't far short of Forest so must be on the right track.

I tend to agree that we're on the right track but let's be a little realistic.

We've not yet played to our potential this season for 90 minutes.

It's there, we've seen flashes of it, but we haven't produced it properly.

If we don't do that with some regularity in the second half of the season we will be not far short of Forest come the end.

Unfortunately "not far short of Forest" will be too far away for automatic promotion.

So yes, we're on the right track, but we better make some progress along that track or it will be another season of failure.

Noone's demanding perfection, we're demanding promotion - and so far we're falling slightly short which is a cause for concern (not panic).

[dezgimed]

I WOULDNT SAY THAT ...ENOCH HAS MORE GOLAS ...ID SAY HE IS DEF BETTER THAN JEVONS BUT NOT THE PAIR PUT TOGETHER ..WE NOT 3RD BECAUSE OF BROOKER BUT BECAUSE OF TEAM EFFORT WITHOUT BROOKER....OUR FORM HAS HAPPEND SINCE BROOKER HURT HIMSELF AND WAS CHUCKED IN JAIL..DOES THAT TELL US SOMETHING OR AM I JUST BEING HARSE.

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS ARE COOL ARENT DEY!

Enoch has more goals...god..he must be better..

I think its just you being harse.

Brooker is widely recognised as one of the best strikers in this division, give him a chance to find his best form and we'll be laughing.

[Robbored]

Maybe Johnson isn't giving them the required team-talk before the game.If he is going to be credited with shaking them up at half-time then he has to be dis-credited for not doing so before kick-off.

Can't have it both ways.

Good point.

Maybe Johnson didn't think the players would need motivating before the game.

[Guest]

Cant quite see how a draw with Cheltenham is a great result; 2points lost rather than 1 gained. Auto promo is hardly enhanced by this effort.

Yeah we fought back for the point but we should of been out of sight.

[WTFiGO!?!]

I believe the facts prove, and indeed the general consensus is that City have done better first half over the season.

Err, do carry on therorising about todays game though, it is a funny old one, that's one thing that that Jimmy bloke definately did get right.

[A Horse With No Name]

Maybe the original poster meant that it was a good result in the context of other results of the teams around us. I would have settled for a draw at Cheltenham beforehand, if I'd known that Tranmere would lose at home, and Forest lost as well, with Swansea and Yeovil dropping points.

Yes we maybe should have won, but everyone knows that promotion form is to win your home games, and not get beaten away. I suggest that we are on target.

[Captain _Z]

Yes we maybe should have won, but everyone knows that promotion form is to win your home games, and not get beaten away. I suggest that we are on target.

I total agree with this.

I think I may go and look on the Forrest and Brentford forums to see whats being said there and get things into to perspective, as it is all over the place here.

[Will Rollason]

I total agree with this.

I think I may go and look on the Forrest and Brentford forums to see whats being said there and get things into to perspective, as it is all over the place here.

I have just been and it made me feel a whole lot better... you can almost feel the love coming through the keyboard

you reds.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

I think people have to remember there are 2 teams out there on a football pitch.. as much as one team can be playing shite the other team could be having the game of their lives.

For Cheltenham this was a great derby occasion, and they raised their game accordingly. We weren't prepared well enough and that's our own fault.

But I'm a glass half-full type so I see it as another point gained rather than 2 lost. Last season we would have given up and lost 4/5/god knows-0.

We're 3 points off the top, without being in top gear and Forest are slipping up.

ALL TO PLAY FOR!!

merry xmas.

[mozo]

I tend to agree that we're on the right track but let's be a little realistic.

We've not yet played to our potential this season for 90 minutes.

It's there, we've seen flashes of it, but we haven't produced it properly.

If we don't do that with some regularity in the second half of the season we will be not far short of Forest come the end.

Unfortunately "not far short of Forest" will be too far away for automatic promotion.

So yes, we're on the right track, but we better make some progress along that track or it will be another season of failure.

Noone's demanding perfection, we're demanding promotion - and so far we're falling slightly short which is a cause for concern (not panic).

You've essentially spelled out that you would not have been content at this stage of the season with any less than top of the table.

Your expectations are in my mind unrealistic, but that's how many fans differ.

I'm certainly not 'demanding promotion', I'm hoping for an improvement on last season. So far I'm impressed.

[bh_red]

yep it is a major improvement on the last seasons and we are building a team that is going in the right direction, few weeks back we were miles off Forest, but now only 3 points behind? we are still keeping in touch with them, despite our major injury problems this season and now that everyone is pretty much fit, I've got hope that we can progress further up the league, with the right kinda signing in the window, I see no reason, why we can't continue to push forest and hopefully overhaul them, some people seems to forget about 2nd place which no one would complain about.

I think it is a given that Billy Sharp (and maybe even Keogh) will leave Scunny in Jan with Wolves looking likely destination, it's down to them to find replacements, who can instantly settle into their team and keep scoring at the same rate of sharp, personally I think loosing them will be a big blow and they will end up clinging onto a play off place, I really feel in Feb/March if we can keep people fit, the top 2 can pull away in this league.

[Nibor]

You've essentially spelled out that you would not have been content at this stage of the season with any less than top of the table.

Your expectations are in my mind unrealistic, but that's how many fans differ.

I'm certainly not 'demanding promotion', I'm hoping for an improvement on last season. So far I'm impressed.

I'm not saying I'm not content with where we are, I'm saying I won't be content if we're here at the end of the season and unless we improve we will be.

Second would be fine by me, particularly if we're winning games comfortably rather than riding our luck like we've done too often this season.

I don't think wanting promotion is unrealistic at all. We have more resources than any club bar Forest by far because we all put our money down every season, we've been stuck here for 8 years now and I'm sick of it, I want to see some sort of success.

[Nibor]

yep it is a major improvement on the last seasons and we are building a team that is going in the right direction, few weeks back we were miles off Forest, but now only 3 points behind? we are still keeping in touch with them, despite our major injury problems this season and now that everyone is pretty much fit, I've got hope that we can progress further up the league, with the right kinda signing in the window, I see no reason, why we can't continue to push forest and hopefully overhaul them, some people seems to forget about 2nd place which no one would complain about.

Yes it's an improvement on last season (though last season was shit so it wasn't hard), and yes it's moving in the right direction. I agree if we can improve we can do it, and a couple of signings would be a great step in that direction - but I think the vast majority of city fans would be unhappy with finishing third and getting dicked in the play-offs again. We need to improve on where we are now to get second.

I think it is a given that Billy Sharp (and maybe even Keogh) will leave Scunny in Jan with Wolves looking likely destination, it's down to them to find replacements, who can instantly settle into their team and keep scoring at the same rate of sharp, personally I think loosing them will be a big blow and they will end up clinging onto a play off place, I really feel in Feb/March if we can keep people fit, the top 2 can pull away in this league.

Relying on another team selling players is clutching at straws at best. Besides, their chairman has said publically no players are leaving in January. I doubt very much Wolves have the sort of money needed to spend these days, their valuation is going up week by week.

[Flaxbourton Red]

I think people have to remember there are 2 teams out there on a football pitch.. as much as one team can be playing shite the other team could be having the game of their lives.

For Cheltenham this was a great derby occasion, and they raised their game accordingly. We weren't prepared well enough and that's our own fault.

But I'm a glass half-full type so I see it as another point gained rather than 2 lost. Last season we would have given up and lost 4/5/god knows-0.

We're 3 points off the top, without being in top gear and Forest are slipping up.

ALL TO PLAY FOR!!

merry xmas.

I think your right it was their cup final, playing the mighty bristol city. I also think they have got a decent manager who was able to motivate his players and bring the best out of them straight away a la johnson last week against millwall. Also a couple of the cheltenham lads may have felt they had a point to prove.

Its quite a nice place, the town, locals friendly i suppose, went into one pub and was informed by the locals "your going to watch cheltenham are you? its a local derby today isn't it?" oddly enought they seemed to be wearing blackburn rovers shirts.

One many of things annoyed me during the match off-pitch apart from the silly stewarding, was the fact that they read out the first division results before the third division results, what a joke. Who cares about the overpaid prema donnas aka premier league, if we were that interested we would be sat in that pub watching blackburn crappy rovers.

[mozo]

I'm not saying I'm not content with where we are, I'm saying I won't be content if we're here at the end of the season and unless we improve we will be.

Second would be fine by me, particularly if we're winning games comfortably rather than riding our luck like we've done too often this season.

I don't think wanting promotion is unrealistic at all. We have more resources than any club bar Forest by far because we all put our money down every season, we've been stuck here for 8 years now and I'm sick of it, I want to see some sort of success.

I want promotion and success too, but given the difficulties at the club in the last twelve months, I think to make 'demands' of promotion is a tad overexpectant. We are challenging for automatic places which bodes well.

Let's hope we're both celebrating come May!!

[Nibor]

I want promotion and success too, but given the difficulties at the club in the last twelve months, I think to make 'demands' of promotion is a tad overexpectant. We are challenging for automatic places which bodes well.

Let's hope we're both celebrating come May!!

I'm not making any demands Mozo, maybe the rose tinted spectacles are making the words harder to read

It does bode well and I do hope we're both celebrating in May as well, but we can't ignore that good though the first half of the season has certainly been - it hasn't quite been good enough to be successful. B+, room for improvement for me.

[Tunley Legend]

Maybe Johnson isn't giving them the required team-talk before the game.If he is going to be credited with shaking them up at half-time then he has to be dis-credited for not doing so before kick-off.

Can't have it both ways.

Surely you have to look at the players. Every single one of them should be fired up before kick off regardless of what the manager says to them. Most of the pre-match team talk is technical stuff aimed at getting players to do certain jobs. Then no doubt there is a bit of blood and thunder just before they go out with all the lads presumably showing the right signs and "looking" up for it. Unfortunately we often go out and perform sloppily for the first fifteen minutes. Perhaps the experts on here who do have all the answers could give Johnson a ring and tell him exactly what it is he is supposed to say and in what tone of voice to get these lads up for it at 3 O'Clock. One thing our squad does not seem to have is a natural out and out leader ON THE PITCH in the Roy Keane mould, someone who drags players up off their arses and makes them play and effectively does the manager's work for him on the pitch.

It is easy to up your performance level when you have played crap and the manager has given you a rollicking for ten minutes but you can hardly give the team a roasting before they even get out on the pitch - or maybe that is what Johnson needs to do!!!

[Ian M]

Yes it's an improvement on last season (though last season was shit so it wasn't hard), and yes it's moving in the right direction. I agree if we can improve we can do it, and a couple of signings would be a great step in that direction - but I think the vast majority of city fans would be unhappy with finishing third and getting dicked in the play-offs again. We need to improve on where we are now to get second.

I would suggest that even those of us who have dismissively been labelled as "happy clappers" would not be happy in that scenario.

However, it's worth considering that if we do only finish in a play-off spot, it doesn't automatically indicate that we're gonna get "dicked" in them.

I know we are Bristol City and we're not exactly synonymous with play-off success but we're also not the same team as all those City sides through the years that have bottled it in the play-offs. As others have mentioned, this side has mettle which I would say is something the team that lost to Brighton lacked. That and a goalscorer of course