Do You Remember The Time?

[Ian M]

Re-watching the Man City game last night on Sky+ I remembered that when I first started supporting City we were famed for our inability to take advantage of a set-play (the fanzine even used to keep count of how many corners we'd had since our last goal I think) and how Gary Johnson has really turned the tables in that respect.

It's almost reached the stage where if we get a dead-ball in the opponents half I expect us to score from our routine.

Can anyone think of other areas of the game that you would normally associate with City that have changed under GJ?

(Note if this unbeaten league run continues we might actually also be guilty of "getting off to a flyer", another Bristol City no-no).

[citylad21]

Good quality in depth. We have players waiting in the wings in almost every position now, esp with arrival of Byfield up front.

IMHO we never had that great a squad in years gone by, good first XI but came up short with injuries and suspensions.

There doesn't seem to be any 'big time charlies anymore', thats defintley changed under GJ, an obvious observation perhaps but thats what immediatley strikes me when comparing past and present City.

In turn you can see a hungrier, more disciplined team that has gelled well and as a result plays solid but also slick football.

[giles_23_bcfc]

Good quality in depth. We have players waiting in the wings in almost every position now, esp with arrival of Byfield up front.

IMHO we never had that great a squad in years gone by, good first XI but came up short with injuries and suspensions.

There doesn't seem to be any 'big time charlies anymore', thats defintley changed under GJ, an obvious observation perhaps but thats what immediatley strikes me when comparing past and present City.

In turn you can see a hungrier, more disciplined team that has gelled well and as a result plays solid but also slick football.

Not losing a league game in August. Cant remember the last time we went unbeaten in the league through the whole of August.

[red as fcuk]

We never get out-played/out-muscled by less talented, but hungrier teams.

How many times have we seen that in the past? Particularly under Wilson.

[RedM]

It's good to see a bit of variation with the freekicks and corners too, at one stage it had come too predictable and teams had sussed us.

Also as others have said we seem to have that team spirit and togetherness that we have often lacked in years gone by, something that I found myself grudgingly admiring the G*s for.

This has been an excellent start for us and this can only be good for confidence, although I'm not kidding myself that the real test will be over the next few games when we play the 'big boys'. of the Championship.

[greenun]

Re-watching the Man City game last night on Sky+ I remembered that when I first started supporting City we were famed for our inability to take advantage of a set-play (the fanzine even used to keep count of how many corners we'd had since our last goal I think) and how Gary Johnson has really turned the tables in that respect.

It's almost reached the stage where if we get a dead-ball in the opponents half I expect us to score from our routine.

Can anyone think of other areas of the game that you would normally associate with City that have changed under GJ?

(Note if this unbeaten league run continues we might actually also be guilty of "getting off to a flyer", another Bristol City no-no).

As a unit, this is the most 'together' squad since the days of Alan Dicks' burgeoning side of the '70's.

[Rudolf Hucker]

In the past (BJ - Before Johnson) I dreaded going a goal down - so many City teams of the past would buckle and lack the resilience to get a goal back.

Nowadays, going a goal behind doesn't cause me as many concerns (don't get me wrong - I still hate the feeling!) because I know that the team now has the belief, resolve and talent to recover and still win the game.

Last season at Carlisle was a case in point - expectations high, large travelling support, 1-0 down early in the first half - yet come back to win the game 1-2 and in doing so, almost certainly clinched promotion. Gary's not only assembled a squad of quality players and raised their fitness to the highest level but he's imbued them with a positive, winning, never-say-die attitude.

Top man. Top Manager.

[Chivs]

I was thinking about this as well. We seem to have a variety of freekick routines - some of which actually work.

The other main area of improvement is fitness. I can't understand it but we seem to be so much fitter than previous teams.

What I really can't understand is how do so called professional managers like Wilson (and, errrm, Tinnion) not seem to address these "bleedin' obvious" player improvements?

[Gazred]

Certainly has got better, much like our all round game in the Johnson era. I recall a nice little routine during the Man C game involving 1 or 2 players running over the ball in different directions, ending up with McIndoe turning and lashing a cross in with his left foot. Not the best delivery come the end, but the movement was slick. Of course in the same game our equaliser this week came from a nicely worked set piece, McCombe's winner away against Donny last season etc.