| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality 10:24 - Oct 26 with 1420 views | unstableblue |
Great trip down to Bristol, its a wonderful city. Many beers enjoyed pre and post match in good bars/pubs - including going behind enemy lines in a proper spit and sawdust City pub near the ground.
Nice to meet the Norwegian Blues.. hope they enjoy Brighton (Ajax game?) and a home Town win against Plymouth.
Was joined by a blue who was intent on getting some songs going, and a neutral who very much got into the spirit of the away end.
I thought the travelling (2,994) blues were up for it, but not sure the acoustics of the away end allowed us to really get going, or feel connected as a big group. Barnsley away has set a very high bar though. Home fans did make some noise in one corner in the latter stages to be fair.
Good to have a neutrals point of view, and also chat to a Bristol fan at a coffee shop on the way to Temple Meads this morning. I'd say my early impressions of last night is that we were some way off our best as well as being rusty from 18 days off playing. And this was one of the few times I didn't quite agree with McKenna's post match assertion that it "was a good game" and for "65mins we played really good football". But again speaking to the neutral and the City fan, looking back at the replay, it was a better performance than I felt leaving Ashton Gate.
Yes we were very rusty for the first 10mins, yes we rode our luck not to concede as the ball sat on our line, yes for the last 20mins we allowed them to come onto us and it soured the game. But bar that chance we weren't really threatened... and whilst never hitting the heights and passages of play we've been spoilt with this season, there were times when we moved the ball really well, and carved out good attacking spells. It was just a bit patchy, and at times error strewn. With the passing out from the back being somewhat nerve jangling at times.
To the players. No one got over 7.0 on the player ratings other than Burgess, Hladky and Broadhead and I think that's fair. All three have a shout at MOTM. Probably Broadhead shading it, with the goal - a great finish.
I did also think Hirst, Davis and Morsy had good displays, without hitting their top gear. Hirst did a lot of work, I'd love to see him bag a goal Saturday and go on a bit of streak. But he brings assists and hold up play, that's the role.
With Ladapo out that 3rd striker of quality that I think the club are after is looking necessary. I remain unconvinced by Scarlett, clearly a player in there, but not seen it fully and doesn't suit the system in my humble opinion.
A few players had errors in them, Williams for example, but he also had some good moments and crunching tackles - those tackles making him somewhat of a fan favourite.
I think Jackson had a mixed night, a real handful at times, and his pace just makes him difficult. But sometimes he was less effective, and maybe thought Hutchison could have come in on 60mins, our Chelsea loanee joined when we'd gone deeper and had little joy. We missed Burns physicality and quality, and positive to hear surgery is not needed on the shoulder.
Chaplin summed us up.. he had several moments of very high quality, with through balls etc, but at other times was a bit lost.
But back to the overall performance, a lot of rust, some really good passages of play, but a bit patchy, with a few players below par. However, we were still good value for the win... and the table and Leeds result are fine fine reading! - P12 W10 (TEN!) D1 L1... 9 points clear of Leeds in third, and with a game in hand. What a season - some strengthening in January, emergence of Axel, maybe even Baggot... and perhaps the return of El Miz (yes i know this is fanciful) and who knows where this season can go.
One game at a time people and I'd really like to see a good performance and win Saturday... would be a real statement against our old League One foes. Won't be easy. [Post edited 26 Oct 2023 10:30]
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| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality on 10:46 - Oct 26 with 1310 views | Stewart27 |
Very good and balanced assessment.
Good heavens that final whistle sounded good. Thought Bristol were poor and there for the taking. Clever them playing the zero press which meant we had to create things with 11 men on front of us all the time. But it would have been a huge missed opportunity had we not have taken 3 points.
Thought the away end was bizarrely quiet for an away game under the lights with 3k in attendance. Especially going 1-0 up like we did. |  | | |
| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality on 10:46 - Oct 26 with 1306 views | Guthrum |
Very much agree. Thought we looked a bit sloppy at times, with passes and clearances going astray (and to opponents). Tho there were stil enough passages of our usual incisive getting the ball from back to front quicker that the other team can react. Plus our defence is very tough (on the road), from midfield to goalkeeper.
That having been said, a 0 - 1 win is our favourite away result.
I hope Williams doesn't get carried away with his crunching tackles. He got a yellow last night and it would be very easy to overcook it further, if not a bit careful.
The singing sounded pretty good from where I was standing. Tho that was only a couple of dozen seats across from the drum. |  |
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| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality on 10:48 - Oct 26 with 1292 views | Guthrum |
| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality on 10:46 - Oct 26 by Stewart27 |
Very good and balanced assessment.
Good heavens that final whistle sounded good. Thought Bristol were poor and there for the taking. Clever them playing the zero press which meant we had to create things with 11 men on front of us all the time. But it would have been a huge missed opportunity had we not have taken 3 points.
Thought the away end was bizarrely quiet for an away game under the lights with 3k in attendance. Especially going 1-0 up like we did. |
I thought Bristol looked ok, with a decent attacking threat and tried to take the game to us rather than sitting back. Certainly a lot of the action seemed to be at Town's end of the pitch. | |
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| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality on 10:57 - Oct 26 with 1242 views | _clive_baker_ |
It wasn't a vintage performance by any stretch, but when you're going away from home to a middling Championship side you're going to come under pressure, especially when you're defending a lead.
I think Hirst is doing exactly what McKenna expects of him, he's a bit of an old school centre forward, works his balls off and his movement is of a really high standard. The amount of times he pulls their back line out of position to create space for those around him, hold up play is generally on point, pretty good in the air, deceptive pace, can finish. He's got a couple of goals to his name already and I wouldn't rule him out hitting double figures. The issue we've got is with that level of physical output he wont do 90 minutes Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday and I agree with you that we could do with more depth.
Saturday feels made for a vintage performance. We'll be back at home in front of a packed out PR, on that surface and with the rustiness of a long break behind us. I would anticipate one or 2 changes in the team selection, perhaps Hutchinson coming in from the start. It promises to be a good game, I really want to get one over on Plymouth having not achieved it last season. |  | | |
| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality on 10:57 - Oct 26 with 1242 views | burnbudgiesburn |
Aside from the first 5 and last 20 minutes I thought we controlled the game well and that's backed up by the fact at the 70 minute mark we had 60% possession.
We didn't control the last 20 very well. You always expect a home side that is trailing to push more men up the field but we failed to pick the right passes and were a bit panicky. Can't say other than the ball that hit the post they created much in reality however.
From my comfy seat in my living room the atmosphere seemed subdued all game until the final 10-15 but you could certainly hear the Town fans all game. | | | |
| Selection of Bristol City fan comments on 10:58 - Oct 26 with 1238 views | unstableblue |
I didn't talk much about Bristol City themselves in the above.
They did pressure us well, got into us, made it difficult, worked very hard. But they were toothless and had poor attacking delivery. Lacked quality in the final third.
Definitely one of our harder away tests due to City's work rate. And yet we still get three points, whilst being a bit rusty and with some players not playing to their full potential.
Had a look on OTIB, and have selected the most 'useful' (positive) ones that emphasise some of my earlier points:
"Personally thought without any star names how well coached they were . Seemed to know exactly how to defend and how to break on us , look comfortable on the ball and new where the next pass was going . Personally think McKenna has a decent future in the game" ----- "Exactly what I thought too. Leicester and Leeds: they are different level in terms of individual players: any of their starting XI would walk into ours. How teams without the benefit of parachute payments have to counter that is by team spirit, self belief, coaching etc - the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. We do that to a degree but I thought Ipswich were different level on that respect."
"Ipswich passed well but over did the play between their keeper and defenders. If we had pressed with full committment a couple of times we could have embarrassed them.
They fell off the game in the last 20, probably due to not playing matches recently. Thought a draw would have been fair.
The old cliche of the final ball is very true of us. Do we look up before crossing? Not sure we do."
"Yes and for all the frustrations tonight, it's important to stress we've got a good bunch of honest, hardworking players who will fight for our shirt.
But boy do we lack quality. Dickie would get in their side, no-one else from tonight.
I have no problem losing to a team playing damn good football - if we were playing them again tomorrow, I'd happily pay another 43 quid but to watch Ipswich, not us."
"They are a side built well over a few years to play a passing game and they do it well. Control and move the ball well and their movement is good, but I'd say over 90 it was an even game.
We started well and could have been ahead. TC's chance wasn't as easy as I first thought, he had to readjust a little, but I do think he could have done better.
They they had a purple patch where they passed around us, got the goal and caused us problems. Max dealt with everything pretty well , one good save , except the goal, which looks worse every time I see it. It's probably that awkward spot, too far to kick and close enough to make it difficult to dive, looks bad though." | |
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| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality on 11:01 - Oct 26 with 1219 views | iamatractorboy |
Time to wheel out that trusty football cliché... it's a sign of a good team when you don't play particularly well and still grind out a win. I'm starting to get excited. It's rather worrying  | | | |
| Selection of Bristol City fan comments on 11:16 - Oct 26 with 1144 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Selection of Bristol City fan comments on 10:58 - Oct 26 by unstableblue |
I didn't talk much about Bristol City themselves in the above.
They did pressure us well, got into us, made it difficult, worked very hard. But they were toothless and had poor attacking delivery. Lacked quality in the final third.
Definitely one of our harder away tests due to City's work rate. And yet we still get three points, whilst being a bit rusty and with some players not playing to their full potential.
Had a look on OTIB, and have selected the most 'useful' (positive) ones that emphasise some of my earlier points:
"Personally thought without any star names how well coached they were . Seemed to know exactly how to defend and how to break on us , look comfortable on the ball and new where the next pass was going . Personally think McKenna has a decent future in the game" ----- "Exactly what I thought too. Leicester and Leeds: they are different level in terms of individual players: any of their starting XI would walk into ours. How teams without the benefit of parachute payments have to counter that is by team spirit, self belief, coaching etc - the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. We do that to a degree but I thought Ipswich were different level on that respect."
"Ipswich passed well but over did the play between their keeper and defenders. If we had pressed with full committment a couple of times we could have embarrassed them.
They fell off the game in the last 20, probably due to not playing matches recently. Thought a draw would have been fair.
The old cliche of the final ball is very true of us. Do we look up before crossing? Not sure we do."
"Yes and for all the frustrations tonight, it's important to stress we've got a good bunch of honest, hardworking players who will fight for our shirt.
But boy do we lack quality. Dickie would get in their side, no-one else from tonight.
I have no problem losing to a team playing damn good football - if we were playing them again tomorrow, I'd happily pay another 43 quid but to watch Ipswich, not us."
"They are a side built well over a few years to play a passing game and they do it well. Control and move the ball well and their movement is good, but I'd say over 90 it was an even game.
We started well and could have been ahead. TC's chance wasn't as easy as I first thought, he had to readjust a little, but I do think he could have done better.
They they had a purple patch where they passed around us, got the goal and caused us problems. Max dealt with everything pretty well , one good save , except the goal, which looks worse every time I see it. It's probably that awkward spot, too far to kick and close enough to make it difficult to dive, looks bad though." |
"Ipswich passed well but over did the play between their keeper and defenders. If we had pressed with full committment a couple of times we could have embarrassed them.
it's interesting how many opposition fans don' understand what this leads to. It's risky as hell, you see it weekly in prem and goals conceded by it, but ( im just throwing figures in here) you're 90% going to create an attacking play by playing out the back like we do against 10% chance of conceding from it. |  |
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| Selection of Bristol City fan comments on 11:19 - Oct 26 with 1118 views | DanTheMan |
| Selection of Bristol City fan comments on 11:16 - Oct 26 by FrimleyBlue |
"Ipswich passed well but over did the play between their keeper and defenders. If we had pressed with full committment a couple of times we could have embarrassed them.
it's interesting how many opposition fans don' understand what this leads to. It's risky as hell, you see it weekly in prem and goals conceded by it, but ( im just throwing figures in here) you're 90% going to create an attacking play by playing out the back like we do against 10% chance of conceding from it. |
Also, how many times have we actually conceded from it? Barely any. We definitely create more goals from it by far.
If they fully pressed us, we'd have carved them open. That's the entire point. |  |
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| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality on 11:21 - Oct 26 with 1104 views | NthQldITFC |
| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality on 10:57 - Oct 26 by _clive_baker_ |
It wasn't a vintage performance by any stretch, but when you're going away from home to a middling Championship side you're going to come under pressure, especially when you're defending a lead.
I think Hirst is doing exactly what McKenna expects of him, he's a bit of an old school centre forward, works his balls off and his movement is of a really high standard. The amount of times he pulls their back line out of position to create space for those around him, hold up play is generally on point, pretty good in the air, deceptive pace, can finish. He's got a couple of goals to his name already and I wouldn't rule him out hitting double figures. The issue we've got is with that level of physical output he wont do 90 minutes Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday and I agree with you that we could do with more depth.
Saturday feels made for a vintage performance. We'll be back at home in front of a packed out PR, on that surface and with the rustiness of a long break behind us. I would anticipate one or 2 changes in the team selection, perhaps Hutchinson coming in from the start. It promises to be a good game, I really want to get one over on Plymouth having not achieved it last season. |
I thought Hirst was excellent last night, blown after 60 minutes (ooh-er!) but his disruption of their centre backs was excellent, hold up, ball stealing and work rate terrific. I think KMc has done a superb job of educating the majority of Town fans to understand that 'No. 9' in our system is probably more about creating space and opportunities for others than scoring or even directly assisting goals.
Saw a discussion on the Leicester forum saying "Why didn't we keep Hirst?" to which replied "He's only scored 2 and created 3." - I think the bulk of our fans understand that you don't need a big lump up front to get on the end of crosses in the 2020s. |  |
| # WE ARE STEALING THE FUTURE FROM OUR CHILDREN --- WE MUST CHANGE COURSE # | | Poll: | It's driving me nuts |
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| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality on 11:25 - Oct 26 with 1093 views | tractorboy1978 |
| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality on 10:57 - Oct 26 by _clive_baker_ |
It wasn't a vintage performance by any stretch, but when you're going away from home to a middling Championship side you're going to come under pressure, especially when you're defending a lead.
I think Hirst is doing exactly what McKenna expects of him, he's a bit of an old school centre forward, works his balls off and his movement is of a really high standard. The amount of times he pulls their back line out of position to create space for those around him, hold up play is generally on point, pretty good in the air, deceptive pace, can finish. He's got a couple of goals to his name already and I wouldn't rule him out hitting double figures. The issue we've got is with that level of physical output he wont do 90 minutes Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday and I agree with you that we could do with more depth.
Saturday feels made for a vintage performance. We'll be back at home in front of a packed out PR, on that surface and with the rustiness of a long break behind us. I would anticipate one or 2 changes in the team selection, perhaps Hutchinson coming in from the start. It promises to be a good game, I really want to get one over on Plymouth having not achieved it last season. |
Watched the game with a mate last night and we were saying that Hirst doesn't really have a weakness and is a 7/10 at every facet of the game for a centre forward - pace, hold up play, aerial ability, finishing, link up play, pressing. Such a good all round striker and if McKenna can nudge those attributes up to 8/10 we have a serious player on our hands. [Post edited 26 Oct 2023 11:26]
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| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality on 11:28 - Oct 26 with 1065 views | burnbudgiesburn |
| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality on 11:21 - Oct 26 by NthQldITFC |
I thought Hirst was excellent last night, blown after 60 minutes (ooh-er!) but his disruption of their centre backs was excellent, hold up, ball stealing and work rate terrific. I think KMc has done a superb job of educating the majority of Town fans to understand that 'No. 9' in our system is probably more about creating space and opportunities for others than scoring or even directly assisting goals.
Saw a discussion on the Leicester forum saying "Why didn't we keep Hirst?" to which replied "He's only scored 2 and created 3." - I think the bulk of our fans understand that you don't need a big lump up front to get on the end of crosses in the 2020s. |
He's the type of player opposition fans won't rate due to his goalscoring ratio, but for 45 mins he was top level.
Bit of a Jekyll & Hyde performance tho, nothing stuck in the 2nd half for him. If Freddie was fit I reckon he'd have been hooked sooner. | | | |
| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality on 14:11 - Oct 26 with 901 views | unstableblue |
| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality on 11:21 - Oct 26 by NthQldITFC |
I thought Hirst was excellent last night, blown after 60 minutes (ooh-er!) but his disruption of their centre backs was excellent, hold up, ball stealing and work rate terrific. I think KMc has done a superb job of educating the majority of Town fans to understand that 'No. 9' in our system is probably more about creating space and opportunities for others than scoring or even directly assisting goals.
Saw a discussion on the Leicester forum saying "Why didn't we keep Hirst?" to which replied "He's only scored 2 and created 3." - I think the bulk of our fans understand that you don't need a big lump up front to get on the end of crosses in the 2020s. |
It's not coincidence that Broadhead was essentially completely unmarked - Hirst took two defenders with him and Chaplin and Jackson on the other side kept another 4 busy. Luongo and Davis had mopped up the rest.
In summary - we really do attack in numbers and in fast transition. Such a different attittude to recent seasons.. but I do thin the Championship suits us, due to the lack of low blocks. | |
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| Bristol City match thoughts.... rusty, patchy, but still showing quality on 14:35 - Oct 26 with 860 views | DinnernotTea |
I'm reading loads of "they were unlucky, Ipswich aren't that special, draw would've been fair result."
Rubbish. I think both sets of fans forget just how much we ripped through them from 5th minute until the 55th minute, if we scored 4 during that time then no one would've been shocked. Their keeper was their best player by a mile, 3 wonder saves. We carved them open at will.
Granted from 55 we just couldn't get hold of it but more so down to lack of match sharpness and fitness than Bristol City.
A 1-4 scoreline would've been about right. | |
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