BobBobBobbin

Cor, Joe got a pasting in that!

I can say with an element of certainty that it does, It's obviously intangible but there are many performances and moments where the fans have been able to directly influence what happens on the pitch. Sometimes for the worse of course. Be it engaged fans screaming man on to help a player in a moment to performances like that against Hartlepool and Palace and United, where undoubtedly we helped the team deliver in the moments where they needed that last push. Perhaps I'm a romanticist, but I can't imagine there's anything more encouraging for a player than to hear your name being sung by the people who idolise you. I doubt there's anything more off putting than a hostile environment for an away player (See how Neville describes playing at Anfield for instance). It's probably only part of a percent impact, but in football those marginal gains add up (I feel myself turning into Al Pacino here...) I also think the club benefits from an atmosphere of togetherness. When we are together this place can be unplayable and unbeatable. Cotts called it right after the Swindon game. His post match interview should be played on the big screen before every game. it's a call to arms. We are Bristol City football club. Not just the players, not just the fans. All. And the club should facilitate that much more aggressively imo. Same goes for fan groups. SCAT should be even more vociferous in demanding changes, should be leading on it and being an absolute pain in the ass for the club. Easy from the outside to demand it, I know. I just think it's gone so sterile that there's not much hope of being like when I was a kid without some serious intervention.

I think we do quite well considering the atmosphere is pretty much set up to fail by the logistics of AG. I've said it many times, but the Atyeo should be a home end. It should be a completely safe standing area and it should be cheap as chips to encourage it being full every week. The away fans should be in the gods and we shouldn't give more than 10% of capacity (2700 MAX) And the club should invest in the atmosphere because it's worth points to the team. This is probably the most controversial/disputable points I could make on this topic, but if I owned the club and had the riches we have I'd rather spend £50k a season on funding a fan group/SCAT to deliver tifo's, flags displays or whatever else than spend £300k on Harry Cornick/Marcus McGuane. I don't want them influencing what is done with the money, but simply saying to a group here's a budget, spend it and deliver something good for the team. Turn the taps off 10 minutes before kick off too. Certainly get rid of the live feed to the game in the concourse. Highlights at HT and FT only.

For build up phases I really like "packing" which calculates the amount of players a pass takes out of the game when breaking a line. I think the danger in any stat is trying to apply it to all phases. Specific stats show specific things; once you accept that and start to come to terms with what those pairings are, they become a little more meaningful imo. Trying to wrap everything up in xG/xT/xA isn't analysis. You've got to dig for the meaningful data or wait long enough for the data to start spitting out trends/anomalies. Eye test first, supplemented by stats to confirm or contradict your view. Hence why I love Dave's analysis so much. It's not just numbers, He adds the pictorial view too. "Here's what I saw, here's what the numbers say about the outcome of this".

Who's the answer to that last question? For me it's Guti.

you're seeing the symptom but not the cause. Pring is being asked to do the task of two and a half players on his own so we can carry Twine. Roberts was asked to the do the same first half on Saturday and wasn't great as a result. Both are good players who have been set up to fail by being given an impossible task. CAM to LM is too far to transition effectively. LW to LB is also far too far. Manning has got the rotations horrible wrong so far this season. Hence the calls for balance to the in possession shape. I genuinely think we could get both of the shapes that Manning desires (3241 in possession, 442 OOP) if we changed the personnel and rotations slightly. He's just put all the strain on the LHS.

His goals for Molde, Salzburg and Dortmund didn't happen then? He wouldn't be doing "as little" for any other manager than Pep. His goals at previous teams were not just tap ins.

I'm with you Pete, Cannot stand Man City but the only club capable of making me want them to win a game of football are Arsenal. Man City are grotesque, but they win with grace. Arsenal are chocker full of awful people. Arteta, White, Gabriel, Martinelli, Zinchenko are all thoroughly dislikeable footballers. and their fans are absolutely awful. Even the second teamers are insufferable. I can't wait for them to bottle it once again.

you're forgiven, then!

I'm all about it! I pictured a Jose Knee slide mixed with an Adebayor sprint down the pitch. I think that would earn him 12 months grace for tactical flaws from me!

I was okay with the praise for Cruzcampo, but to bring Madri into the conversation was a disgrace. disgusting rebranded Carling. Might not listen again.

Only thing missing was some shithousing, agree!

That's fair, Dave! I'm just saying, it must have been a rotten feeling seeing us go a goal down undeservedly (as you say), hear Oxford fans' abuse and our stands emptied because of the rain... To come away from that game and those moments with a win & performance must be a relief and I'm glad about that!

To be fair, there's a discussion to be had about Williams and the wider midfield. Ignoring the obvious hyperbole of the OP there's plenty of good content in these type of threads imo. Just gotta dig a bit deeper for it...

yep, Knight was good and Williams was fine. Deciphering the press is a weak point in the majority of fans in this country, so it rarely gets plaudits when done well; especially the act of leading it. (Pato never got any credit for that side of his game, for instance). I guess the issue is that a Williams, Bird and Knight triumvirate doesn't offer enough positives if we are then shoehorning Twine into the equation. I'd have no problem with seeing any of the three in a two behind a balanced 3-1. I wouldn't even mind Knight in the 10, provided Twine wasn't selected too. Bird and Knight are the better technical players for sure, but there will be times this season where we will need Williams in there (and perhaps, McGuane). precisely!