BFTG - Bristol City

[windermereROYAL]

The Ipswich game is taking on the same importance as last season already, and we all know how that ended up.

[Zip]

Seen them given.

Yep. They are far from happy it wasn’t given.

[tidus_mi2]

Seen them given.

He's just giving his boot a little kiss.

[Snowflake Royal]

The same Hull that beat West Brom today.

What's that got to do with how they played against us about a month ago?

Just because we made them look bad doesn't mean they're bad. Perhaps like Bristol today.

You're reading something that isn't there. Hull were far worse than Brizzle, ON THE DAY.

[Old Man Andrews]

Excellent result and well taken goals. 6 pointer against Ipswich next weekend

Hard lines for Bournemouth yesterday. Nothing in that game at all.

[Lower West]

We're in poor form, we have yet to win 2 consecutive games in the league this season

3-2 vs Preston
3-0 vs Hull
3-1 vs Millwall
3-2 vs Bristol City

Only managed back to back league wins twice last season.

Most recent occasion was November/December 2017. Barnsley home and Sunderland away. Both times we scored 3 goals.

Before that 3 past Forest and 4 past Derby.

Next win after Sunderland was Burton away in February where we scored 3 as well.

Good omen for next week perhaps.

[marlowuk]

As others have said, it was an exciting games but a relief to hear the final whistle. Still - 3 valuable points, particularly as most of the teams around us didn't lose.

Did we play well? In spots we did and our goals were taken well but there were still too many basic errors. Kelly had his best game for a long time and was my MOTM. I thought Blackett played well too and Meite never gives up trying. But the team isn't gelling as well as it should. Is it just a group of very poor players or is it Clement who is unable to get the best out of them?

I saw our first game this season when we lost to Derby who snatched a last-second winner. We were the better team that day. There was a feeling of cheerful optimism amongst the supporters as we left the ground. Sure we lost, but the team played with skill and with spirit and displayed some impressive fast one-touch football. Included in the starting XI were McShane, Meyler and Aluko who are not good enough for us now!

All I want to see is that level of skill and commitment again. The players have it within themselves and Clement needs to prize it out of them. Perhaps it is simply a lack of confidence after some difficult (OK - bad) results. But good players don't turn bad overnight.

[Hound]

It’s still not quite right certainly. Individually the midfield all did ok, but there well spells, esp in the first half, when as a group they were non existent.

The attack look pretty tasty at times and Baldock, Meite and McCleary all work hard and defend well from the front

Back 4 still ropey. Blackett looked great at times but gets beaten too easily. Yiadom seems to be in a bit of poor form. O Shea can’t run and Moore isn’t at his best

PC was right in that the defence is what is stopping us climb the table. It’s difficult to quite pinpoint the exact issue though

[Lower West]

PC was right in that the defence is what is stopping us climb the table. It’s difficult to quite pinpoint the exact issue though

The team needs to learn to defend as a unit.

[Lower West]

Mostly agree with the Kelly praise, but there were still some properly brainless moments. One that sticks out was the free kick passed to Bacuna under pressure from 4 players, that ended up back at our keeper from inside their half. Not a bad player but his stature gets us in trouble too often.

Was that the one just inside our half early in the second half. Which Walker just managed to clear back into the Bristol City half and give them possession. Many other teams would have pushed up and pumped one forward.

[Zip]

It’s still not quite right certainly. Individually the midfield all did ok, but there well spells, esp in the first half, when as a group they were non existent.

The attack look pretty tasty at times and Baldock, Meite and McCleary all work hard and defend well from the front

Back 4 still ropey. Blackett looked great at times but gets beaten too easily. Yiadom seems to be in a bit of poor form. O Shea can’t run and Moore isn’t at his best

PC was right in that the defence is what is stopping us climb the table. It’s difficult to quite pinpoint the exact issue though

Agree with all of that. One of the issues is that we really struggle to clear our lines. Moore is probably our best centre back but he is a bit on the small side so struggles in the air. I also think full back is a really weak part of the side. Yiadom is not as good as many posters think he is and Blackett is very slow to react at times.
We are also playing without a genuine CDM at the moment. Ezatolahi can be that player but he won’t be fit any time soon.

In one respect Clement has been very unlucky as we just seem to pick up injury after injury.

[Hound]

It’s not just the number of injuries. Ezatolahi really struck me as being the player we need, and exactly what we are missing. Quite possibly the most impt player in the side

Bod breaking his back is very poor news, but Meite is similar and we have plenty of other forward options. None of the other recent injuries really affect the side imo

[biff]

Mostly agree with the Kelly praise, but there were still some properly brainless moments. One that sticks out was the free kick passed to Bacuna under pressure from 4 players, that ended up back at our keeper from inside their half. Not a bad player but his stature gets us in trouble too often.

Was that the one just inside our half early in the second half. Which Walker just managed to clear back into the Bristol City half and give them possession. Many other teams would have pushed up and pumped one forward.

The very same. Great chance to let up a bit of pressure, but just invited it with a 6 yard pass into danger. Frustrating.

[Nameless]

Seen them given.

Surely that’s dangerous play, which is an indirect free kick, not a penalty.

[SCIAG]

Seen them given.

Surely that’s dangerous play, which is an indirect free kick, not a penalty.

It's not dangerous play if there is contact - it then becomes a different offence, such as kicking.

[Sutekh]

Seen them given.

Surely that’s dangerous play, which is an indirect free kick, not a penalty.

No, that's low heading. Free kick to Reading for unsportsmanlike behaviour.

[Coppells Lost Coat]

3 points and 3 goals will take the pressure off on paper but some serious words need to be said to our defence. They all looked to have a poor game at the back and better teams would have punished us. Am I the only one thinking Moore isn't as good as everyone thinks?

Meite goal was well taken though, you can see him gambling on the defender making a mistake after an initial poor ball in.

[Hendo]

3 points and 3 goals will take the pressure off on paper but some serious words need to be said to our defence. They all looked to have a poor game at the back and better teams would have punished us. Am I the only one thinking Moore isn't as good as everyone thinks?

Meite goal was well taken though, you can see him gambling on the defender making a mistake after an initial poor ball in.

Thought they defended pretty well in the second half when BC put a lot of pressure on them.

[Silver Fox]

Cracking match, good atmosphere, no surprise at all that people choose to dwell on negatives, maybe watching Reading isn't for some of you?

[3points]

i just think we're all so used to this downward spiral we've been on since we were relegated from the premier league that it's hard to see the positives. It's the opposite of rose tinted spectacles really. I was at the Birmingham game and one of my Birmingham supporting friends thought we were pretty decent first half and couldn't understand why I was being so negative. He also really liked Liam Kelly's performance that evening and thought he looked a good player. A different perspective I suppose.