BFTG - Bristol City

[Victor Meldrew]

Congratulations to Gomes for finding a way not to lose away from home.
Our 5 man (then 6 when McIntyre came on) defence and reliance on a quick break or two or a set piece means that we have taken the 2 points from 2 difficult away games to (probably) keep us up.

It has been dire stuff to watch but needs must.
Next comes the really big job of assembling a side for next season-getting all the loanees plus a left-back would be a good start but, regrettably, we may not get all 5 but I would be happy with the keeper, centre-back and striker.
The 2 midfielders have done well but maybe not as well as the other 3-the other Chalobah might be an option there..

I forgot about Eza-who knows where his future lies and would he be fit enough to take a chance on?

[Zip]

Congratulations to Gomes for finding a way not to lose away from home.
Our 5 man (then 6 when McIntyre came on) defence and reliance on a quick break or two or a set piece means that we have taken the 2 points from 2 difficult away games to (probably) keep us up.

It has been dire stuff to watch but needs must.
Next comes the really big job of assembling a side for next season-getting all the loanees plus a left-back would be a good start but, regrettably, we may not get all 5 but I would be happy with the keeper, centre-back and striker.
The 2 midfielders have done well but maybe not as well as the other 3-the other Chalobah might be an option there..

I forgot about Eza-who knows where his future lies and would he be fit enough to take a chance on?

Vic. We are unbeaten since Gunts returned to the side. This must please you.

[Zip]

It does seem the impressive last 20 are maybe not totally reflective of the full game tbf

Think it goes back to the point RR made about how we struggled to retain possession.

The two occasions we've played this formation we haven't had our best "hold up" player in Oliveira available. He had a frustrating game but the moment he came on the pitch we had our best spell of possession in the game. Meite and Barrow have their strengths but it doen't really lie in any possession based strategy. They're suited (and pretty successful) at very quick breakaways directly in behind defences so as such careful possession isn't really what we're going for.

The difference in the dynamic of the team is obvious when Oliveira is on the pitch. It's also why on SCIAG's "which loanees would you priories?" thread anyone moving Oliveira down the priority list and citing the availability of Baldock and Bod as the reason are comparing apples with oranges to large degree.

But that's a whole other discussion

Good post.

[Jackson Corner]

I`m still pretty hacked off why their guy never got a red card on the stretcher, disgusting chest high tackle. too much sentiment from the ref.

Reading the Bristol forums the City fans watching online said he should have been sent offf. The ref bottled it because he was on a stretcher. One even said why are those idiots booing the Reading player he did nothing wrong!

[Notts Royal]

I think that comes with the territory with Nelson

Everyone knows he is a selfish striker. When and if he scores 20 in a season no one will care.

Suppose it all depends if Gomes feels we have enough goals in the squad without signing him permanently. And depends on his views re Novakovich, who looks a very mobile striker. And depends on where he sees Meite’s best position going forwards.

Personally I wouldn’t take the risk, and would prefer to sign Nelson. To have Méïté Nelson & Novakovich (sell the rest) would be ideal. Having said that, now Novakovich is a regular starter playing at a decent level, would he be happy playing 2nd/3rd fiddle to others? I doubt it

[Snowflake Royal]

Oliveira has a rep for selfishness

I wonder if long term he is a problem in the changing room?

Agreed. If you look for it when watching him, he rarely passes to others, when he celebrates he runs off on his own. Not entirely convinced he's keeper.

I certainly don't fancy him taking over from Martinez.


I'll get my coat.

[LWJ]

Not sure it was a red, I actually thought EJari fouled him. Certainly looked like ejari slipped into the challenge which made it bad.

Ref missed some obvious yellows, for both teams.

Ejaria slipped because he was ankle tapped by Pack. If he hadn't slipped and gone lower, Smith's boot would have caught him in the chest.

Yellow as a very minimum - out of control, running onto a bouncing ball with boot high.

I'd like to see it again tbf

[NewCorkSeth]

Not sure it was a red, I actually thought EJari fouled him. Certainly looked like ejari slipped into the challenge which made it bad.

Ref missed some obvious yellows, for both teams.

Ejaria slipped because he was ankle tapped by Pack. If he hadn't slipped and gone lower, Smith's boot would have caught him in the chest.

Yellow as a very minimum - out of control, running onto a bouncing ball with boot high.

I'd like to see it again tbf

Me too. Anyone found a clip?

[Victor Meldrew]

Congratulations to Gomes for finding a way not to lose away from home.
Our 5 man (then 6 when McIntyre came on) defence and reliance on a quick break or two or a set piece means that we have taken the 2 points from 2 difficult away games to (probably) keep us up.

It has been dire stuff to watch but needs must.
Next comes the really big job of assembling a side for next season-getting all the loanees plus a left-back would be a good start but, regrettably, we may not get all 5 but I would be happy with the keeper, centre-back and striker.
The 2 midfielders have done well but maybe not as well as the other 3-the other Chalobah might be an option there..

I forgot about Eza-who knows where his future lies and would he be fit enough to take a chance on?

Vic. We are unbeaten since Gunts returned to the side. This must please you.

He made sure it was only one point at Bristol instead of 3.

[Snowflake Royal]

Think you'll find that was Blackett. Every other cross that came in got defended.

[PistolPete]

My observations:

Starting with the most important. When it’s hot and sunny Reading fans, WEAR SOME oxf*rd DEODORANT! Absolutely stank in the away end
Gunter was poor, Blackett looked scared again. It’s weird, I was convinced Blackett was a left sided centre back in a 3 and nothing else (although a great crosser of the ball). Therefore, why not play Blackett Moore Miazga, with Yids right and Gunter left? Anyway...
Meite was poor other than the goal, Oliveira was absolutely shocking when he came on. Really needs match fitness, perhaps (obviously I guess) that’s why he didn’t start
Miazga was immense, but played very very deep. It’s actually a decent away game strategy
GMac was great when he came on, but oh how we miss his pace. If he was 4 years younger and fitter, we’d have scored more in those closing minutes.

[Stranded]

Am I really 3 pages in and not a single discussion of our frankly stunning free kick routine? That was a thing of beauty.

[paddy20]

My observations:

Starting with the most important. When it’s hot and sunny Reading fans, WEAR SOME oxf*rd DEODORANT! Absolutely stank in the away end
Gunter was poor, Blackett looked scared again. It’s weird, I was convinced Blackett was a left sided centre back in a 3 and nothing else (although a great crosser of the ball). Therefore, why not play Blackett Moore Miazga, with Yids right and Gunter left? Anyway...
Meite was poor other than the goal, Oliveira was absolutely shocking when he came on. Really needs match fitness, perhaps (obviously I guess) that’s why he didn’t start
Miazga was immense, but played very very deep. It’s actually a decent away game strategy
GMac was great when he came on, but oh how we miss his pace. If he was 4 years younger and fitter, we’d have scored more in those closing minutes.

Heard Olivera was suffering from a virus but still put himself forward. Not been at his best last 2 games but can't fault him for commitment to the cause

[CountryRoyal]

Am I really 3 pages in and not a single discussion of our frankly stunning free kick routine? That was a thing of beauty.

Yeah good shout.

Was funny because coincidentally enough as they set up I genuinely actually thought to myself “it’s a shame we’re just going to put it into the box I don’t know why we don’t do more training ground set pieces”. It was so well disguised I don’t think anyone in the ground could tell what was going to happen. Absolutely wonderful.

[Hound]

Yes it was great, excellent move

[Platypuss]

Ejaria slipped because he was ankle tapped by Pack. If he hadn't slipped and gone lower, Smith's boot would have caught him in the chest.

Yellow as a very minimum - out of control, running onto a bouncing ball with boot high.

I'd like to see it again tbf

Me too. Anyone found a clip?

https://streamable.com/xpy15

[NewCorkSeth]

I'd like to see it again tbf

Me too. Anyone found a clip?

https://streamable.com/xpy15

Cheers Plat. Seems a red yeah. Slow mo makes it look worse.

[CountryRoyal]

Me too. Anyone found a clip?

https://streamable.com/xpy15

Cheers Plat. Seems a red yeah. Slow mo makes it look worse.

It looked fcuking awful from the stand but admittedly wasn’t the best view. That has confirmed it. Absolutely shocking Ovi is lucky he wasn’t seriously hurt. Fcuk the Bristol city pcunt he deserves to be injured for that awful reckless challenge. Ref was a complete melt how’s he not sent him off.

[Snowflake Royal]

Red card all day long.

[Millsy]

It’s funny but I see it differently to many.

I felt we were by far the better team and deserved to win.

It’s not necessarily the case that we were amazing but they were very poor (or we made them look very poor). They offered nothing and the equaliser really came out of nowhere.

It seems to me that we really are a quite good team now when you think about it. Our battling away draw against the top of the table team and a well-deserved comfortable away draw against a play-off team. A solid home win against a mid table side.

We are a playoff chasing team dumped in the wrong end of the table.