Match Report: Soaked, second best but ultimately successful

[Olé]

In monsoon like conditions at Peterborough, depleted City followed up the disappointing loss at Millwall by being largely second best to their promoted opponents, standing off a succession of attacks and never matching the hosts' pass and move - yet somehow Joe Williams contrived a barnstorming late Chris Martin winner against the run of play.

The visitors gave their former League One hosts acres of space on either flank and so could have few complaints when one time City misfit Sammy Szmodics punished them.  Led by Calum O'Dowda's wing play they got level from a corner and then went in front in a rare passing move - sealed by George Tanner drilling home a rebounded effort.

But Sam Szmodics again took advantage of stand off defending to level and the visitors rarely looked likely to threaten during a one-sided second half - only for Williams to turn the game on its head in front of the massed ranks of traveling supporters, bundling past defenders and slipping it inside to Martin, who steered home an explosive late winner.

Played in torrential rain it was Posh who had started the brighter through Szmodics down the left, regularly probing their opponents - though on 6 minutes O'Dowda got in behind onto a left wing through ball, only to square it just behind Matty James with defenders racing back out of position, the hosts in the end bundling the loose ball out for a corner.

It wasn't until a couple of minutes past the quarter hour that Andi Weimann held up the ball before running it goalward, slipping it right to Williams, whose cross was cut back from beyond the far post by O'Dowda, who in turn laid it into James path, only for City's energetic midfielder to loop a shot high and wide with time to threaten the host defence.

But on 21 minutes Peterborough made their more purposeful attacking movement count. An early ball down the left channel was easy for Harrison Burrows to control and lay off for Szmodics to run on from the edge of the box and curl an early looping shot past Dan Bentley and into the top corner - giving the home side an early lead in the pouring rain.

City's best spell of passing came midway in the half - a patient wing to wing move saw Martin and Tanner combine out right before spreading cross field via King, who released O'Dowda to the byline on the left, his cross cut out with Weimann ready to finish. Pring on the left then jinked past defenders into the box, going down claiming for a penalty.

After the half hour a left wing free kick was miscontrolled by Weimann but winning City several corners - from which O'Dowda's set piece met Rob Atkinson rising highest at the far post to send a bullet header into the top corner for the equaliser. Yet once again City stood off the hosts, Szmodics and Burrows given room to threaten from the channels.

So it was a surprise when the visitors stole in front inside 40 minutes. A rare break saw James steal in from the left and square to Martin to apply the finish, but his tame shot was blocked and rebounded out to full back Tanner who drilled a low cross shot into the bottom corner. A first goal for the club in his fourth game since rising from League Two. 

City ended the half again repelling chances from the Peterborough left, and an overload saw the Posh work the ball inside Williams and Tanner via Dan Butler - who lifted it into Szmodics at close range who this time was able to steer a header into the far corner. At the break a deep City free kick led to head tennis in the box before Martin headed wide.

After the restart the damp October weather had by now deteriorated into torrential rain that made it almost unplayable - although Williams early header forced a diving save from a deep James free kick, while at the other end Oliver Norburn took aim from 25 yards onto the bar and Nathan Thompson fired wide after Pring's slip up on the right.

City's only chances were coming from set pieces and another deep free kick saw the team breaking the lines in numbers, scorer Atkinson glancing the ball inside for Martin to head down and force a close range save. On the hour City highlighted their futile play as a patient passing move saw no runners in behind and retreated back to halfway.

Alex Scott replaced O'Dowda as the biblical weather made the match harder and harder to perform in - indeed despite the home side repeatedly probing it was Williams being put clear onto a long ball down the right at the midpoint of the second half that threatened more - only for the exhausted midfielder to badly overhit a low cross beyond teammates.

Heading into the last ten Peterborough were seeing all of the ball but City were creating the clearer chances. Martin forced another diving save with a flicked header following a Williams cross, then Tomas Kalas produced a stunning run - bringing it down in defence and racing upfield to beat the entire Posh defence, only to miss Martin with his centre.

So City had sounded a warning and despite being largely against the run of play they'd storm into a decisive lead a minute later and right in front of their fans. All action Williams bundled the ball past defenders and slipped it to Martin who curled home. Pandemonium in the away corner as City players, second best much of the day, celebrated with fans.

Before the end Bentley had to pull off a fine save to tip wide a free kick heading for the top corner following Burrows apparent dive. The keeper would need lengthy treatment in injury time as the Posh piled on the pressure - but City hung on and claimed their fourth away win in six trips, an improbable return from a poor performance in 

 

Bentley 7 Crucial save at the end 

Tanner 7 Took goal well, threw himself at everything at the end, Szmodics caused him problems though

Pring 6 One or two slips but generally solid and great driving fun first half

Kalas 7 Stunning run towards the end, never stops, probably showed Posh forwards too much respect when they ran the channels

Atkinson 7 Really well taken goal and some important flick ons from other set pieces

James 6 Some great set piece delivery but never really got hold of midfield for the quality of opposition

King 6 Probably shaded it over James and was a marked improvement over Bakinson - ran out of steam later on

Williams 7 Easily our best player in a poor performance - never stopped battling and trying to find space to pass or run

O'Dowda 6 Our biggest threat first half with some well timed runs and drilled crosses but got injured and came off early

Weimann 4 Nothing came off for him, didn't link well with anyone, pressed strongly but as an attacking threat non existent

Martin 5 Several good chances and a vital winner but slow and offered little outlet for much of the game

 

Scott 6 Added a bit of quality on the ball in difficult conditions although hard done by when hacked down and ref waved play on

[IAmNick]

Have really enjoyed these in the past, but this is another one I feel is a fair bit more negative than my own opinion, and not for the first time this season. I only watched on Robins TV however.

I thought we were the better side on balance, threatened more, and deserved the three points. Some of the comments like "largely second best" and so on throughout your report I feel are rather unfair.

On the ratings I think they're slightly on the low side. Martin I thought was good most of the day, even without his goal he found himself with some great chances and came near a few times. He'd have easily been a 6 and possibly a 7. Williams was outstanding and I'd have been tempted for an 8 there. In contrast while I was delighted for Tanner with his goal I thought positionally he was a little suspect today with his positioning throughout, especially in the closing stages, so it'd be a generous 7 for me - and that's not intended as a real criticism as he's a young lad and has stepped up a lot.

A great battling win in very challenging conditions for me, especially after going behind in the first half.

Edited October 2, 2021 by IAmNick

[The Original OTIB]

Atkinson didn't score, own goal.

Stood off, yes, but good battling win.

[Rossi the Robin]

Seen a few posts on social media from the opposition fans saying we cheated? What was this?

[Cov 77]

30 minutes ago, Olé said:

In monsoon like conditions at Peterborough, depleted City followed up the disappointing loss at Millwall by being largely second best to their promoted opponents, standing off a succession of attacks and never matching the hosts' pass and move - yet somehow Joe Williams contrived a barnstorming late Chris Martin winner against the run of play.

The visitors gave their former League One hosts acres of space on either flank and so could have few complaints when one time City misfit Sammy Szmodics punished them.  Led by Calum O'Dowda's wing play they got level from a corner and then went in front in a rare passing move - sealed by George Tanner drilling home a rebounded effort.

But Sam Szmodics again took advantage of stand off defending to level and the visitors rarely looked likely to threaten during a one-sided second half - only for Williams to turn the game on its head in front of the massed ranks of traveling supporters, bundling past defenders and slipping it inside to Martin, who steered home an explosive late winner.

Played in torrential rain it was Posh who had started the brighter through Szmodics down the left, regularly probing their opponents - though on 6 minutes O'Dowda got in behind onto a left wing through ball, only to square it just behind Matty James with defenders racing back out of position, the hosts in the end bundling the loose ball out for a corner.

It wasn't until a couple of minutes past the quarter hour that Andi Weimann held up the ball before running it goalward, slipping it right to Williams, whose cross was cut back from beyond the far post by O'Dowda, who in turn laid it into James path, only for City's energetic midfielder to loop a shot high and wide with time to threaten the host defence.

But on 21 minutes Peterborough made their more purposeful attacking movement count. An early ball down the left channel was easy for Harrison Burrows to control and lay off for Szmodics to run on from the edge of the box and curl an early looping shot past Dan Bentley and into the top corner - giving the home side an early lead in the pouring rain.

City's best spell of passing came midway in the half - a patient wing to wing move saw Martin and Tanner combine out right before spreading cross field via King, who released O'Dowda to the byline on the left, his cross cut out with Weimann ready to finish. Pring on the left then jinked past defenders into the box, going down claiming for a penalty.

After the half hour a left wing free kick was miscontrolled by Weimann but winning City several corners - from which O'Dowda's set piece met Rob Atkinson rising highest at the far post to send a bullet header into the top corner for the equaliser. Yet once again City stood off the hosts, Szmodics and Burrows given room to threaten from the channels.

So it was a surprise when the visitors stole in front inside 40 minutes. A rare break saw James steal in from the left and square to Martin to apply the finish, but his tame shot was blocked and rebounded out to full back Tanner who drilled a low cross shot into the bottom corner. A first goal for the club in his fourth game since rising from League Two. 

City ended the half again repelling chances from the Peterborough left, and an overload saw the Posh work the ball inside Williams and Tanner via Dan Butler - who lifted it into Szmodics at close range who this time was able to steer a header into the far corner. At the break a deep City free kick led to head tennis in the box before Martin headed wide.

After the restart the damp October weather had by now deteriorated into torrential rain that made it almost unplayable - although Williams early header forced a diving save from a deep James free kick, while at the other end Oliver Norburn took aim from 25 yards onto the bar and Nathan Thompson fired wide after Pring's slip up on the right.

City's only chances were coming from set pieces and another deep free kick saw the team breaking the lines in numbers, scorer Atkinson glancing the ball inside for Martin to head down and force a close range save. On the hour City highlighted their futile play as a patient passing move saw no runners in behind and retreated back to halfway.

Alex Scott replaced O'Dowda as the biblical weather made the match harder and harder to perform in - indeed despite the home side repeatedly probing it was Williams being put clear onto a long ball down the right at the midpoint of the second half that threatened more - only for the exhausted midfielder to badly overhit a low cross beyond teammates.

Heading into the last ten Peterborough were seeing all of the ball but City were creating the clearer chances. Martin forced another diving save with a flicked header following a Williams cross, then Tomas Kalas produced a stunning run - bringing it down in defence and racing upfield to beat the entire Posh defence, only to miss Martin with his centre.

So City had sounded a warning and despite being largely against the run of play they'd storm into a decisive lead a minute later and right in front of their fans. All action Williams bundled the ball past defenders and slipped it to Martin who curled home. Pandemonium in the away corner as City players, second best much of the day, celebrated with fans.

Before the end Bentley had to pull off a fine save to tip wide a free kick heading for the top corner following Burrows apparent dive. The keeper would need lengthy treatment in injury time as the Posh piled on the pressure - but City hung on and claimed their fourth away win in six trips, an improbable return from a poor performance in 

 

Bentley 7 Crucial save at the end 

Tanner 7 Took goal well, threw himself at everything at the end, Szmodics caused him problems though

Pring 6 One or two slips but generally solid and great driving fun first half

Kalas 7 Stunning run towards the end, never stops, probably showed Posh forwards too much respect when they ran the channels

Atkinson 7 Really well taken goal and some important flick ons from other set pieces

James 6 Some great set piece delivery but never really got hold of midfield for the quality of opposition

King 6 Probably shaded it over James and was a marked improvement over Bakinson - ran out of steam later on

Williams 7 Easily our best player in a poor performance - never stopped battling and trying to find space to pass or run

O'Dowda 6 Our biggest threat first half with some well timed runs and drilled crosses but got injured and came off early

Weimann 4 Nothing came off for him, didn't link well with anyone, pressed strongly but as an attacking threat non existent

Martin 5 Several good chances and a vital winner but slow and offered little outlet for much of the game

 

Scott 6 Added a bit of quality on the ball in difficult conditions although hard done by when hacked down and ref waved play on

Was there , were you ? second best my ass

[Kodjias Wrist]

23 minutes ago, Rossi the Robin said:

Seen a few posts on social media from the opposition fans saying we cheated? What was this?

Bentley going down in last minutes and then taking ages to get up. Basically championship shithousing.

[elhombrecito]

I must have watched a different game. Thought we were much the better team 

[Wanderingred]

That’s the first I’ve heard about it being a poor performance and us being second best…  I guess we see games differently sometimes.

[Rossi the Robin]

28 minutes ago, Kodjias Wrist said:

Bentley going down in last minutes and then taking ages to get up. Basically championship shithousing.

If that’s it then they are scraping the barrel

Sore losers 

[joe jordans teeth]

Can’t see how we were second best if I’m honest but everyone is due a opinion 

[2015]

Very harsh ratings and a very critical view of the game.

I was there, it could have gone either way but we took our chance when it came and a good battling display by City.

Williams an 8 for me and Pring a 7 at least. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Usually really enjoy Ole's reports but this feels a bit unduly negative IMO.

It wasn't a sparkling performance but there were masses of spirit, and let's not forget that we are injury hit albeit not reaching levels of last season.

Good away win in difficult conditions at a side who had only lost once at home this season. Think at home they will cause a few sides issues tbh.

In addition to the injuries, I question whether eg Williams and O'Dowda are/were fully fit. Martin starting 11 games in just over 2 months is brave too. 

Dominance is an interesting thing, Peterborough certainly had a lot more possession but 2nd half especially we certainly had quite a few more chances. The clearer chances in the game too.

[Rossi the Robin]

Doesn’t look like a smash and grab to me - stats suggest we were slightly the better team. Away side as well

Edited October 2, 2021 by Rossi the Robin

[Malvern Red]

Difficult to understand a 5 rating when Martin scored a superb match-winning goal, however, I wasn’t there so have to respect your judgment 

[slartibartfast]

31 minutes ago, Malvern Red said:

Difficult to understand a 5 rating when Martin scored a superb match-winning goal, however, I wasn’t there so have to respect your judgment 

If that had been GMcG who wrote that, people would be all over it like a 30 bob suit !

I usually enjoy Ole's write ups, but whether he got out of the wrong side this morning, or was soaking wet, but it does seem a tad "grumpy". It makes it sound like (in comparison) we steam rollered QPR. Very disappointing revue .

[downendcity]

My first game live for some time.

I wouldn't say we were second best, but  agree that we stood off Posh too much and gave them too much time and space in the last third, Doing so led to both their goals. Peterborough overloaded down the flanks and this caused us problems all game, although I don't think Posh made that much of a fair bit of attacking possession. 

By comparison, while we didn't have so much attacking play, we seemed to create more better chances when we did get in and around their penalty area.

One thing I noticed is that when we attack our build up play is very (too) measured and controlled, giving the opposition time to regain their shape and defend. This is probably due to us not having a lot of pace in midfield - that’s where we missed HNM. Scott’s introduction made a difference, as he was prepared to take players on and break the lines.

it was a battling display full of grit and determination, in conditions that must have been taxing after a tough midweek game and with a few of the team having "older legs”.

I was pleasantly surprised to see we at last have someone the team able to hit a decent corner and get it past the first defender, although we are still pretty rubbish at taking throw ins!

On that performance I don't think we are a million miles away. A fully fit Williams, James and HNM I can see as being a pretty good midfield and the defence looked OK as Atkinson and Tanner will continue to improve, but, for all Martin’s heroics today, we do need more pace up front to stretch defences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Redrascal2]

2 hours ago, Olé said:

In monsoon like conditions at Peterborough, depleted City followed up the disappointing loss at Millwall by being largely second best to their promoted opponents, standing off a succession of attacks and never matching the hosts' pass and move - yet somehow Joe Williams contrived a barnstorming late Chris Martin winner against the run of play.

The visitors gave their former League One hosts acres of space on either flank and so could have few complaints when one time City misfit Sammy Szmodics punished them.  Led by Calum O'Dowda's wing play they got level from a corner and then went in front in a rare passing move - sealed by George Tanner drilling home a rebounded effort.

But Sam Szmodics again took advantage of stand off defending to level and the visitors rarely looked likely to threaten during a one-sided second half - only for Williams to turn the game on its head in front of the massed ranks of traveling supporters, bundling past defenders and slipping it inside to Martin, who steered home an explosive late winner.

Played in torrential rain it was Posh who had started the brighter through Szmodics down the left, regularly probing their opponents - though on 6 minutes O'Dowda got in behind onto a left wing through ball, only to square it just behind Matty James with defenders racing back out of position, the hosts in the end bundling the loose ball out for a corner.

It wasn't until a couple of minutes past the quarter hour that Andi Weimann held up the ball before running it goalward, slipping it right to Williams, whose cross was cut back from beyond the far post by O'Dowda, who in turn laid it into James path, only for City's energetic midfielder to loop a shot high and wide with time to threaten the host defence.

But on 21 minutes Peterborough made their more purposeful attacking movement count. An early ball down the left channel was easy for Harrison Burrows to control and lay off for Szmodics to run on from the edge of the box and curl an early looping shot past Dan Bentley and into the top corner - giving the home side an early lead in the pouring rain.

City's best spell of passing came midway in the half - a patient wing to wing move saw Martin and Tanner combine out right before spreading cross field via King, who released O'Dowda to the byline on the left, his cross cut out with Weimann ready to finish. Pring on the left then jinked past defenders into the box, going down claiming for a penalty.

After the half hour a left wing free kick was miscontrolled by Weimann but winning City several corners - from which O'Dowda's set piece met Rob Atkinson rising highest at the far post to send a bullet header into the top corner for the equaliser. Yet once again City stood off the hosts, Szmodics and Burrows given room to threaten from the channels.

So it was a surprise when the visitors stole in front inside 40 minutes. A rare break saw James steal in from the left and square to Martin to apply the finish, but his tame shot was blocked and rebounded out to full back Tanner who drilled a low cross shot into the bottom corner. A first goal for the club in his fourth game since rising from League Two. 

City ended the half again repelling chances from the Peterborough left, and an overload saw the Posh work the ball inside Williams and Tanner via Dan Butler - who lifted it into Szmodics at close range who this time was able to steer a header into the far corner. At the break a deep City free kick led to head tennis in the box before Martin headed wide.

After the restart the damp October weather had by now deteriorated into torrential rain that made it almost unplayable - although Williams early header forced a diving save from a deep James free kick, while at the other end Oliver Norburn took aim from 25 yards onto the bar and Nathan Thompson fired wide after Pring's slip up on the right.

City's only chances were coming from set pieces and another deep free kick saw the team breaking the lines in numbers, scorer Atkinson glancing the ball inside for Martin to head down and force a close range save. On the hour City highlighted their futile play as a patient passing move saw no runners in behind and retreated back to halfway.

Alex Scott replaced O'Dowda as the biblical weather made the match harder and harder to perform in - indeed despite the home side repeatedly probing it was Williams being put clear onto a long ball down the right at the midpoint of the second half that threatened more - only for the exhausted midfielder to badly overhit a low cross beyond teammates.

Heading into the last ten Peterborough were seeing all of the ball but City were creating the clearer chances. Martin forced another diving save with a flicked header following a Williams cross, then Tomas Kalas produced a stunning run - bringing it down in defence and racing upfield to beat the entire Posh defence, only to miss Martin with his centre.

So City had sounded a warning and despite being largely against the run of play they'd storm into a decisive lead a minute later and right in front of their fans. All action Williams bundled the ball past defenders and slipped it to Martin who curled home. Pandemonium in the away corner as City players, second best much of the day, celebrated with fans.

Before the end Bentley had to pull off a fine save to tip wide a free kick heading for the top corner following Burrows apparent dive. The keeper would need lengthy treatment in injury time as the Posh piled on the pressure - but City hung on and claimed their fourth away win in six trips, an improbable return from a poor performance in 

 

Bentley 7 Crucial save at the end 

Tanner 7 Took goal well, threw himself at everything at the end, Szmodics caused him problems though

Pring 6 One or two slips but generally solid and great driving fun first half

Kalas 7 Stunning run towards the end, never stops, probably showed Posh forwards too much respect when they ran the channels

Atkinson 7 Really well taken goal and some important flick ons from other set pieces

James 6 Some great set piece delivery but never really got hold of midfield for the quality of opposition

King 6 Probably shaded it over James and was a marked improvement over Bakinson - ran out of steam later on

Williams 7 Easily our best player in a poor performance - never stopped battling and trying to find space to pass or run

O'Dowda 6 Our biggest threat first half with some well timed runs and drilled crosses but got injured and came off early

Weimann 4 Nothing came off for him, didn't link well with anyone, pressed strongly but as an attacking threat non existent

Martin 5 Several good chances and a vital winner but slow and offered little outlet for much of the game

 

Scott 6 Added a bit of quality on the ball in difficult conditions although hard done by when hacked down and ref waved play on

Tremendous battling performance with a never say die attitude from all the players. Created a lot of chances. Your report does not give the team the credit they deserve. And paints a picture of a game that is different to the one I saw.

[Davefevs]

12 minutes ago, slartibartfast said:

If that had been GMcG who wrote that, people would be all over it like a 30 bob suit !

I usually enjoy Ole's write ups, but whether he got out of the wrong side this morning, or was soaking wet, but it does seem a tad "grumpy". It makes it sound like (in comparison) we steam rollered QPR. Very disappointing revue .

@Oléis suffering a bit….he’s recently had to write nice things about Wells, so he’s all over the place with his striker ratings at the mo’.

[054123]

8 hours ago, Olé said:

In monsoon like conditions at Peterborough, depleted City followed up the disappointing loss at Millwall by being largely second best to their promoted opponents, standing off a succession of attacks and never matching the hosts' pass and move - yet somehow Joe Williams contrived a barnstorming late Chris Martin winner against the run of play.

The visitors gave their former League One hosts acres of space on either flank and so could have few complaints when one time City misfit Sammy Szmodics punished them.  Led by Calum O'Dowda's wing play they got level from a corner and then went in front in a rare passing move - sealed by George Tanner drilling home a rebounded effort.

But Sam Szmodics again took advantage of stand off defending to level and the visitors rarely looked likely to threaten during a one-sided second half - only for Williams to turn the game on its head in front of the massed ranks of traveling supporters, bundling past defenders and slipping it inside to Martin, who steered home an explosive late winner.

Played in torrential rain it was Posh who had started the brighter through Szmodics down the left, regularly probing their opponents - though on 6 minutes O'Dowda got in behind onto a left wing through ball, only to square it just behind Matty James with defenders racing back out of position, the hosts in the end bundling the loose ball out for a corner.

It wasn't until a couple of minutes past the quarter hour that Andi Weimann held up the ball before running it goalward, slipping it right to Williams, whose cross was cut back from beyond the far post by O'Dowda, who in turn laid it into James path, only for City's energetic midfielder to loop a shot high and wide with time to threaten the host defence.

But on 21 minutes Peterborough made their more purposeful attacking movement count. An early ball down the left channel was easy for Harrison Burrows to control and lay off for Szmodics to run on from the edge of the box and curl an early looping shot past Dan Bentley and into the top corner - giving the home side an early lead in the pouring rain.

City's best spell of passing came midway in the half - a patient wing to wing move saw Martin and Tanner combine out right before spreading cross field via King, who released O'Dowda to the byline on the left, his cross cut out with Weimann ready to finish. Pring on the left then jinked past defenders into the box, going down claiming for a penalty.

After the half hour a left wing free kick was miscontrolled by Weimann but winning City several corners - from which O'Dowda's set piece met Rob Atkinson rising highest at the far post to send a bullet header into the top corner for the equaliser. Yet once again City stood off the hosts, Szmodics and Burrows given room to threaten from the channels.

So it was a surprise when the visitors stole in front inside 40 minutes. A rare break saw James steal in from the left and square to Martin to apply the finish, but his tame shot was blocked and rebounded out to full back Tanner who drilled a low cross shot into the bottom corner. A first goal for the club in his fourth game since rising from League Two. 

City ended the half again repelling chances from the Peterborough left, and an overload saw the Posh work the ball inside Williams and Tanner via Dan Butler - who lifted it into Szmodics at close range who this time was able to steer a header into the far corner. At the break a deep City free kick led to head tennis in the box before Martin headed wide.

After the restart the damp October weather had by now deteriorated into torrential rain that made it almost unplayable - although Williams early header forced a diving save from a deep James free kick, while at the other end Oliver Norburn took aim from 25 yards onto the bar and Nathan Thompson fired wide after Pring's slip up on the right.

City's only chances were coming from set pieces and another deep free kick saw the team breaking the lines in numbers, scorer Atkinson glancing the ball inside for Martin to head down and force a close range save. On the hour City highlighted their futile play as a patient passing move saw no runners in behind and retreated back to halfway.

Alex Scott replaced O'Dowda as the biblical weather made the match harder and harder to perform in - indeed despite the home side repeatedly probing it was Williams being put clear onto a long ball down the right at the midpoint of the second half that threatened more - only for the exhausted midfielder to badly overhit a low cross beyond teammates.

Heading into the last ten Peterborough were seeing all of the ball but City were creating the clearer chances. Martin forced another diving save with a flicked header following a Williams cross, then Tomas Kalas produced a stunning run - bringing it down in defence and racing upfield to beat the entire Posh defence, only to miss Martin with his centre.

So City had sounded a warning and despite being largely against the run of play they'd storm into a decisive lead a minute later and right in front of their fans. All action Williams bundled the ball past defenders and slipped it to Martin who curled home. Pandemonium in the away corner as City players, second best much of the day, celebrated with fans.

Before the end Bentley had to pull off a fine save to tip wide a free kick heading for the top corner following Burrows apparent dive. The keeper would need lengthy treatment in injury time as the Posh piled on the pressure - but City hung on and claimed their fourth away win in six trips, an improbable return from a poor performance in 

 

Bentley 7 Crucial save at the end 

Tanner 7 Took goal well, threw himself at everything at the end, Szmodics caused him problems though

Pring 6 One or two slips but generally solid and great driving fun first half

Kalas 7 Stunning run towards the end, never stops, probably showed Posh forwards too much respect when they ran the channels

Atkinson 7 Really well taken goal and some important flick ons from other set pieces

James 6 Some great set piece delivery but never really got hold of midfield for the quality of opposition

King 6 Probably shaded it over James and was a marked improvement over Bakinson - ran out of steam later on

Williams 7 Easily our best player in a poor performance - never stopped battling and trying to find space to pass or run

O'Dowda 6 Our biggest threat first half with some well timed runs and drilled crosses but got injured and came off early

Weimann 4 Nothing came off for him, didn't link well with anyone, pressed strongly but as an attacking threat non existent

Martin 5 Several good chances and a vital winner but slow and offered little outlet for much of the game

 

Scott 6 Added a bit of quality on the ball in difficult conditions although hard done by when hacked down and ref waved play on

Up the city!!

[Son of Fred]

9 hours ago, Olé said:

In monsoon like conditions at Peterborough, depleted City followed up the disappointing loss at Millwall by being largely second best to their promoted opponents, standing off a succession of attacks and never matching the hosts' pass and move - yet somehow Joe Williams contrived a barnstorming late Chris Martin winner against the run of play.

The visitors gave their former League One hosts acres of space on either flank and so could have few complaints when one time City misfit Sammy Szmodics punished them.  Led by Calum O'Dowda's wing play they got level from a corner and then went in front in a rare passing move - sealed by George Tanner drilling home a rebounded effort.

But Sam Szmodics again took advantage of stand off defending to level and the visitors rarely looked likely to threaten during a one-sided second half - only for Williams to turn the game on its head in front of the massed ranks of traveling supporters, bundling past defenders and slipping it inside to Martin, who steered home an explosive late winner.

Played in torrential rain it was Posh who had started the brighter through Szmodics down the left, regularly probing their opponents - though on 6 minutes O'Dowda got in behind onto a left wing through ball, only to square it just behind Matty James with defenders racing back out of position, the hosts in the end bundling the loose ball out for a corner.

It wasn't until a couple of minutes past the quarter hour that Andi Weimann held up the ball before running it goalward, slipping it right to Williams, whose cross was cut back from beyond the far post by O'Dowda, who in turn laid it into James path, only for City's energetic midfielder to loop a shot high and wide with time to threaten the host defence.

But on 21 minutes Peterborough made their more purposeful attacking movement count. An early ball down the left channel was easy for Harrison Burrows to control and lay off for Szmodics to run on from the edge of the box and curl an early looping shot past Dan Bentley and into the top corner - giving the home side an early lead in the pouring rain.

City's best spell of passing came midway in the half - a patient wing to wing move saw Martin and Tanner combine out right before spreading cross field via King, who released O'Dowda to the byline on the left, his cross cut out with Weimann ready to finish. Pring on the left then jinked past defenders into the box, going down claiming for a penalty.

After the half hour a left wing free kick was miscontrolled by Weimann but winning City several corners - from which O'Dowda's set piece met Rob Atkinson rising highest at the far post to send a bullet header into the top corner for the equaliser. Yet once again City stood off the hosts, Szmodics and Burrows given room to threaten from the channels.

So it was a surprise when the visitors stole in front inside 40 minutes. A rare break saw James steal in from the left and square to Martin to apply the finish, but his tame shot was blocked and rebounded out to full back Tanner who drilled a low cross shot into the bottom corner. A first goal for the club in his fourth game since rising from League Two. 

City ended the half again repelling chances from the Peterborough left, and an overload saw the Posh work the ball inside Williams and Tanner via Dan Butler - who lifted it into Szmodics at close range who this time was able to steer a header into the far corner. At the break a deep City free kick led to head tennis in the box before Martin headed wide.

After the restart the damp October weather had by now deteriorated into torrential rain that made it almost unplayable - although Williams early header forced a diving save from a deep James free kick, while at the other end Oliver Norburn took aim from 25 yards onto the bar and Nathan Thompson fired wide after Pring's slip up on the right.

City's only chances were coming from set pieces and another deep free kick saw the team breaking the lines in numbers, scorer Atkinson glancing the ball inside for Martin to head down and force a close range save. On the hour City highlighted their futile play as a patient passing move saw no runners in behind and retreated back to halfway.

Alex Scott replaced O'Dowda as the biblical weather made the match harder and harder to perform in - indeed despite the home side repeatedly probing it was Williams being put clear onto a long ball down the right at the midpoint of the second half that threatened more - only for the exhausted midfielder to badly overhit a low cross beyond teammates.

Heading into the last ten Peterborough were seeing all of the ball but City were creating the clearer chances. Martin forced another diving save with a flicked header following a Williams cross, then Tomas Kalas produced a stunning run - bringing it down in defence and racing upfield to beat the entire Posh defence, only to miss Martin with his centre.

So City had sounded a warning and despite being largely against the run of play they'd storm into a decisive lead a minute later and right in front of their fans. All action Williams bundled the ball past defenders and slipped it to Martin who curled home. Pandemonium in the away corner as City players, second best much of the day, celebrated with fans.

Before the end Bentley had to pull off a fine save to tip wide a free kick heading for the top corner following Burrows apparent dive. The keeper would need lengthy treatment in injury time as the Posh piled on the pressure - but City hung on and claimed their fourth away win in six trips, an improbable return from a poor performance in 

 

Bentley 7 Crucial save at the end 

Tanner 7 Took goal well, threw himself at everything at the end, Szmodics caused him problems though

Pring 6 One or two slips but generally solid and great driving fun first half

Kalas 7 Stunning run towards the end, never stops, probably showed Posh forwards too much respect when they ran the channels

Atkinson 7 Really well taken goal and some important flick ons from other set pieces

James 6 Some great set piece delivery but never really got hold of midfield for the quality of opposition

King 6 Probably shaded it over James and was a marked improvement over Bakinson - ran out of steam later on

Williams 7 Easily our best player in a poor performance - never stopped battling and trying to find space to pass or run

O'Dowda 6 Our biggest threat first half with some well timed runs and drilled crosses but got injured and came off early

Weimann 4 Nothing came off for him, didn't link well with anyone, pressed strongly but as an attacking threat non existent

Martin 5 Several good chances and a vital winner but slow and offered little outlet for much of the game

 

Scott 6 Added a bit of quality on the ball in difficult conditions although hard done by when hacked down and ref waved play on

Williams outstanding - at least an 8....

5 for Martin??....has to be seen to have done his job with a well taken winner so has to be 6.

Atkinson 7 ??....caught standing off - again...proving to be a flaw(for now)in his game.....5.

And Bentley... Felt his positioning was very questionable today...no way 7....

As for second best - is this an advert for 'specsavers???......

Edited October 3, 2021 by Son of Fred

[Spoons]

Otib users  love affair with @Oléseems to be on the rocks this morning.

Normally can't do anything wrong. 

[054123]

1 hour ago, Spoons said:

Otib users  love affair with @Oléseems to be on the rocks this morning.

Normally can't do anything wrong. 

Rob’s just been on a bit of a downer lately. I posted after the QPR game that it’s apparent to most the level we currently operate at, it’s almost like we’re wallowing in our own self pity.

We’re better than I thought we would be this year and that’s a positive. It’s almost like some are constantly measuring us against a playoff bar or something.

Its clear to see the improvement on the squad ethos and effort, which is an improvement from last year.

Overall is anyone disappointed with the season so far? Even though our performances suggest we’re not a top 10 team. It’s been alright hasn’t it?

[pl00peh91]

12 minutes ago, 054123 said:

Rob’s just been on a bit of a downer lately. I posted after the QPR game that it’s apparent to most the level we currently operate at, it’s almost like we’re wallowing in our own self pity.

We’re better than I thought we would be this year and that’s a positive. It’s almost like some are constantly measuring us against a playoff bar or something.

Its clear to see the improvement on the squad ethos and effort, which is an improvement from last year.

Overall is anyone disappointed with the season so far? Even though our performances suggest we’re not a top 10 team. It’s been alright hasn’t it?

I’m not sure how you can be on a downer when we have the best away record in the league! Especially for someone who is well known for travelling to all away games. We have had an excellent start to the season all things considered, and have a strong platform to build from as well. Can see us getting better, not worse.

[mozo]

I do think that we fans take a lot of our better play for granted and are over critical.

Even in the Millwall game I thought we were expansive and dominant for good periods and yet the overall picture from fans was we were terrible, completely ignoring injuries and momentum.

Again, yesterday, yes we defended too deep at times, but let's not forget that there was some good play to defend and we still edged an entertaining end to end game.

[E.G.Red]

10 hours ago, Rossi the Robin said:

Seen a few posts on social media from the opposition fans saying we cheated? What was this?

I think it’s the penalty they thought they were denied 

[Northern Red]

2 hours ago, Spoons said:

Otib users  love affair with @Oléseems to be on the rocks this morning.

Normally can't do anything wrong. 

Are you jealous?

[DT The Optimist]

Great report from Ole, he tells it as he sees it. Always enjoy the read. We can all see the same game and take a different view.

Not there so i could not comment but on radio Brizzle Gary Owers view was we deserved the win. At odds with Ole.

On another thread I commented how Darren Ferguson,  after the game, stated CM gave them problems with his quality throughout... Ole gives him a pretty average mark. Either way, he reported as he saw it. 

[Red-Robbo]

26 minutes ago, pl00peh91 said:

I’m not sure how you can be on a downer when we have the best away record in the league! 

Exactly. Leave that for all us poor sods who attend all the home games, but never travel!   

[BTRFTG]

After Wednesday I couldn't be bothered yesterday but in Ole I trust. Usually calls most correct and there's no reason to doubt he didn't yesterday. I'd certainly trust his word over the majority of 'rose-tinteds' who focus on the poplulist minutiae but are unable to see the big picture.

Matters not if striker 'x' scored, fact is those presently at AG aren't good enough for what they purport to be, don't score as often as they should, they offer little. If you wrote a 4 rating against their names pre-match you'd be correct more times than not.

Some of the recent acquisitions and youngsters give us hope for the future, some whose form has been revitalised by proper management likewise, but we've still plenty of dross on the books from the previous regime that needs clearing out.

KP scored an extraordinary goal the other week and folks fawned like he was a world beater of the highest order rather than a week in, week out liability who should only be deployed for the final 10 minutes if 3-0 up at home. Ditto the Mock Mick who, at Norwich, scored one of the finest individual goals I've ever seen from a City player but who's contributed little other in a shockingly poor career with us.

Interesting that Ole's assessments tend to accord with Pearson's own analysis, particularly when we win when we probably didn't deserve to against the balance of play. Not for either Winning = City were brilliant. Like under the reign of Johnson Senior we've had quite a few 'stolen' victories this season and long may they keep coming, if that's what we have at our disposal.

Best away record? Probably. Outplayed teams in games we have won? Rarely. That's football.

Keep calling it Ole.

[lenred]

23 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

Are you jealous?

Certainly sounds like it! Rob does a cracking job. 

[italian dave]

I’m going to defend @Olé - and yes I was there.

I thought Peterborough were better than many have given them credit for. I thought they moved the ball well, moved off the ball well, gave us plenty of problems when they were going forward as we struggled to track their runs and to close down space. Both sides had good spells of attacking football, but on the whole theirs seemed to be more prolonged than ours.

All that was mostly the first half though. The weather in the second half changed the game completely and certainly didn’t suit their style of play as well as it did ours. It stopped them making those neat little runs and short passing moves. It suited our style more, or maybe you could say we just coped with it better. 

Likewise, I didn’t think Williams or Martin were that good, certainly nowhere near 8s, first half. The game seemed to pass Williams by much of the time, and a couple of times he lost the ball on a way that would have driven some posters apoplectic if it had been Bakinson. But the worse the conditions got the more they seemed to relish a battle (which is what it became). I would probably rate Martin higher than a 5 just for the 10 minute spell when he played like a man possessed but otherwise wouldn’t argue with many of those scores. 

Overall, my view of the game wasn’t miles away from Ole’s across the whole 90 minutes. I wonder if some people are getting a bit carried away by the barnstorming finish in dreadful conditions. And like Ole I was quite certain that our first goal came from Atkinson!!!

Edited October 3, 2021 by italian dave

[cityexile]

Just now, BTRFTG said:

After Wednesday I couldn't be bothered yesterday but in Ole I trust. Usually calls most correct and there's no reason to doubt he didn't yesterday. I'd certainly trust his word over the majority of 'rose-tinteds' who focus on the poplulist minutiae but are unable to see the big picture.

Matters not if striker 'x' scored, fact is those presently at AG aren't good enough for what they purport to be, don't score as often as they should, they offer little. If you wrote a 4 rating against their names pre-match you'd be correct more times than not.

Some of the recent acquisitions and youngsters give us hope for the future, some whose form has been revitalised by proper management likewise, but we've still plenty of dross on the books from the previous regime that needs clearing out.

KP scored an extraordinary goal the other week and folks fawned like he was a world beater of the highest order rather than a week in, week out liability who should only be deployed for the final 10 minutes if 3-0 up at home. Ditto the Mock Mick who, at Norwich, scored one of the finest individual goals I've ever seen from a City player but who's contributed little other in a shockingly poor career with us.

Interesting that Ole's assessments tend to accord with Pearson's own analysis, particularly when we win when we probably didn't deserve to against the balance of play. Not for either Winning = City were brilliant. Like under the reign of Johnson Senior we've had quite a few 'stolen' victories this season and long may they keep coming, if that's what we have at our disposal.

Best away record? Probably. Outplayed teams in games we have won? Rarely. That's football.

Keep calling it Ole.

I very much hope Ole keeps writing them up despite our differing views on this one, as I enjoy reading them.

Being there, this was no QPR in my humble opinion. Yes, we did not dominate a game which could have gone both ways, but we always carried a threat and I was not shocked at all when we nicked it. I thought we created the better chances in the second half. We looked what we are..a team that is going to win some, lose some, and yesterday it went our way.

Its all about views, but it was a pretty open game and we played our part in that. 

[Red Army 75]

Yesterday when we left all 4 of us had a different man of the match. It’s what makes football is the difference of opinion. We all watch the same game but with such different views of it. 

[italian dave]

4 minutes ago, cityexile said:

I very much hope Ole keeps writing them up despite our differing views on this one, as I enjoy reading them.

Being there, this was no QPR in my humble opinion. Yes, we did not dominate a game which could have gone both ways, but we always carried a threat and I was not shocked at all when we nicked it. I thought we created the better chances in the second half. We looked what we are..a team that is going to win some, lose some, and yesterday it went our way.

Its all about views, but it was a pretty open game and we played our part in that. 

Agree that it wasn’t daylight robbery a la QPR, and it was an open game. But didn’t you feel that Peterborough were the better side when it was a proper football match first half? 

[054123]

35 minutes ago, BTRFTG said:

After Wednesday I couldn't be bothered yesterday but in Ole I trust. Usually calls most correct and there's no reason to doubt he didn't yesterday. I'd certainly trust his word over the majority of 'rose-tinteds' who focus on the poplulist minutiae but are unable to see the big picture.

Matters not if striker 'x' scored, fact is those presently at AG aren't good enough for what they purport to be, don't score as often as they should, they offer little. If you wrote a 4 rating against their names pre-match you'd be correct more times than not.

Some of the recent acquisitions and youngsters give us hope for the future, some whose form has been revitalised by proper management likewise, but we've still plenty of dross on the books from the previous regime that needs clearing out.

KP scored an extraordinary goal the other week and folks fawned like he was a world beater of the highest order rather than a week in, week out liability who should only be deployed for the final 10 minutes if 3-0 up at home. Ditto the Mock Mick who, at Norwich, scored one of the finest individual goals I've ever seen from a City player but who's contributed little other in a shockingly poor career with us.

Interesting that Ole's assessments tend to accord with Pearson's own analysis, particularly when we win when we probably didn't deserve to against the balance of play. Not for either Winning = City were brilliant. Like under the reign of Johnson Senior we've had quite a few 'stolen' victories this season and long may they keep coming, if that's what we have at our disposal.

Best away record? Probably. Outplayed teams in games we have won? Rarely. That's football.

Keep calling it Ole.

I don’t think it’s a case of rise tinted glasses or even not ‘calling it for what it is’, I moan as bad as the rest of them

But even I can see areas of improvement from last year and whether you accept it or not we keep picking up results, with increased possession, attempts, shots, passes completed, than last year.

Its not great, I can see that, but neither is it desperate or appalling.

[BTRFTG]

2 minutes ago, 054123 said:

I don’t think it’s a case of rise tinted glasses or even not ‘calling it for what it is’, I moan as bad as the rest of them

But even I can see areas of improvement from last year and whether you accept it or not we keep picking up results, with increased possession, attempts, shots, passes completed, than last year.

Its not great, I can see that, but neither is it desperate or appalling.

? 

Who said it was, certainly not Ole?

 

[054123]

33 minutes ago, italian dave said:

I’m going to defend @Olé - and yes I was there.

I thought Peterborough were better than many have given them credit for. I thought they moved the ball well, moved off the ball well, gave us plenty of problems when they were going forward as we struggled to track their runs and to close down space. Both sides had good spells of attacking football, but on the whole theirs seemed to be more prolonged than ours.

All that was mostly the first half though. The weather in the second half changed the game completely and certainly didn’t suit their style of play as well as it did ours. It stopped them making those neat little runs and short passing moves. It suited our style more, or maybe you could say we just coped with it better. 

Likewise, I didn’t think Williams or Martin were that good, certainly nowhere near 8s, first half. The game seemed to pass Williams by much of the time, and a couple of times he lost the ball on a way that would have driven some posters apoplectic if it had been Bakinson. But the worse the conditions got the more they seemed to relish a battle (which is what it became). I would probably rate Martin higher than a 5 just for the 10 minute spell when he played like a man possessed but otherwise wouldn’t argue with many of those scores. 

Overall, my view of the game wasn’t miles away from Ole’s across the whole 90 minutes. I wonder if some people are getting a bit carried away by the barnstorming finish in dreadful conditions. And like Ole I was quite certain that our first goal came from Atkinson!!!

I don’t think anyone disagrees with Rob’s sentiments that overall we’re not brilliant.

I just think there’s a lot of ‘doubling down’ on the negatives.

Its like it’s desperately trying to convince us we’re not very good.

We know that, you don’t need to try.

Everyone accepts it’s going to be a tough, imperfect season. I’m more surprised by the improvements so far

Just now, BTRFTG said:

? 

Who said it was, certainly not Ole?

 

It’s how it comes  across sometimes, just my opinion

[cityexile]

1 hour ago, italian dave said:

Agree that it wasn’t daylight robbery a la QPR, and it was an open game. But didn’t you feel that Peterborough were the better side when it was a proper football match first half? 

It is really difficult to be impartial having been to the match, in truth. I think the change in weather most likely on balance did help us.

First half, I thought Peterborough were bright and looked full of movement. Having said all that, it took two really really good finishes for their goals, and don’t really recall them creating much in terms of real chances other than that…might be a poor or selective memory mind you. First 15 we seemed very passive but then I thought the rest of the first half was pretty even and a decent half of football. As I say, just a view.

Edited October 3, 2021 by cityexile

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, E.G.Red said:

I think it’s the penalty they thought they were denied 

Never a penalty, contact game and Williams got his body in a good position.

49 minutes ago, BTRFTG said:

After Wednesday I couldn't be bothered yesterday but in Ole I trust. Usually calls most correct and there's no reason to doubt he didn't yesterday. I'd certainly trust his word over the majority of 'rose-tinteds' who focus on the poplulist minutiae but are unable to see the big picture.

Matters not if striker 'x' scored, fact is those presently at AG aren't good enough for what they purport to be, don't score as often as they should, they offer little. If you wrote a 4 rating against their names pre-match you'd be correct more times than not.

Some of the recent acquisitions and youngsters give us hope for the future, some whose form has been revitalised by proper management likewise, but we've still plenty of dross on the books from the previous regime that needs clearing out.

KP scored an extraordinary goal the other week and folks fawned like he was a world beater of the highest order rather than a week in, week out liability who should only be deployed for the final 10 minutes if 3-0 up at home. Ditto the Mock Mick who, at Norwich, scored one of the finest individual goals I've ever seen from a City player but who's contributed little other in a shockingly poor career with us.

Interesting that Ole's assessments tend to accord with Pearson's own analysis, particularly when we win when we probably didn't deserve to against the balance of play. Not for either Winning = City were brilliant. Like under the reign of Johnson Senior we've had quite a few 'stolen' victories this season and long may they keep coming, if that's what we have at our disposal.

Best away record? Probably. Outplayed teams in games we have won? Rarely. That's football.

Keep calling it Ole.

Rob is a good observer of the whole of the game, not just focussing on City but why our opponents stop us too.  My thoughts are generally aligned to his.  His ratings are rarely a million miles from mine.  In a league where anyone can beat anyone, and we have a squad of mainly similar level players (and a few that aren’t), we are rarely gonna spank a team.  I watched on Robinstv and I thought we just about deserved the win, but tv and being there can give different views.  We created a really good set of chances yesterday, forced an opposition keeper into saves which was a big plus for me.

44 minutes ago, italian dave said:

I’m going to defend @Olé - and yes I was there.

I thought Peterborough were better than many have given them credit for. I thought they moved the ball well, moved off the ball well, gave us plenty of problems when they were going forward as we struggled to track their runs and to close down space. Both sides had good spells of attacking football, but on the whole theirs seemed to be more prolonged than ours.

All that was mostly the first half though. The weather in the second half changed the game completely and certainly didn’t suit their style of play as well as it did ours. It stopped them making those neat little runs and short passing moves. It suited our style more, or maybe you could say we just coped with it better. 

Likewise, I didn’t think Williams or Martin were that good, certainly nowhere near 8s, first half. The game seemed to pass Williams by much of the time, and a couple of times he lost the ball on a way that would have driven some posters apoplectic if it had been Bakinson. But the worse the conditions got the more they seemed to relish a battle (which is what it became). I would probably rate Martin higher than a 5 just for the 10 minute spell when he played like a man possessed but otherwise wouldn’t argue with many of those scores. 

Overall, my view of the game wasn’t miles away from Ole’s across the whole 90 minutes. I wonder if some people are getting a bit carried away by the barnstorming finish in dreadful conditions. And like Ole I was quite certain that our first goal came from Atkinson!!!

This isn’t a criticism ID, more an observation of OTIB generally….I agree with almost all that you write on here.

I think there has become a bit of view that opponents who pass it / play “better” (define better?) football than us deserve better results.  I’m not sure our fans have cottoned on to our new (and evolving) playing style, which attempts to be pretty direct, it’s about getting it forward.  Some of that dictated by our players, and Nige wanting his defenders to defend first and foremost. We are most definitely not a “split the centre-backs, play out from the back” team, quite a lot of our opponents are, hence a lot of the middling teams playing back 3’s.  The top teams can split centre backs playing a back 4 because they have better ball players at the back and superior midfielders.

Peterborough did pass it about nicely, they had good patterns, had good movement, but a lot of it was in-front of us, possibly due to Dembele and Szmodics.  They didn’t get behind us very often. After the first 15 minutes, when we sussed their movement, we spent a lot of the first half forcing them to turnover the ball playing into midfield.  Second half the weather made it a different game.

We aren’t an attractive watch from a “pure football” perspective, but I’m fine with that, but we have guts now, hard-work, physicality.  Having been crap from set-pieces for seasons, we are now a threat.  Getting the ball into the final third fairly quickly and getting a free-kick or corner is probably part of the plan.  We have scored 6 goals from set-pieces.  Last season we scored 5 in total (inc cup).  How often have we been the team conceding from them?

Theres a change going on….I know you know that….but I’m not sure many have noticed.  City’s “overall performance” is about more than “pretty passing”.  Expectations of how we are gonna play need to change alongside it.

38 minutes ago, italian dave said:

Agree that it wasn’t daylight robbery a la QPR, and it was an open game. But didn’t you feel that Peterborough were the better side when it was a proper football match first half? 

I thought we thoroughly deserved to go in at h-t ahead, not 2-2.  Szmodics’s header was a killer….we were well on top having come from behind.  We’d fashioned good chances, opportunities for chances.

[22A]

12 hours ago, Rossi the Robin said:

Seen a few posts on social media from the opposition fans saying we cheated? What was this?

They all reckon there was a hand ball in the build up to City's winner.

[Davefevs]

4 minutes ago, cityexile said:

It is really difficult to be impartial having been to the match, in truth. I think the change in weather most likely on balance did help us.

First half, I thought Peterborough were bright and looked full of movement. Having said all that, it took two really really good finishes for their goals, and don’t really recall them creating much in terms of real chances other than that…might be a poor or selective memory mind you. First 15 we seemed very passive but then I thought the rest of the first half was pretty even and a decent half of football. As I say, just a view.

Your summary of first half is pretty much what I wrote above.  I think we are a bit blinded by passing teams, because we aren’t one.

[Port Said Red]

We have one of the best away record in the league over the last couple of years, but away from home you are rarely going to dominate the opposition. I understand that some people see these as "backs to the wall performances" but they rarely are. I just get fed up with constantly being asked to apologise for having a good goalkeeper, good defenders and scoring more goals than the opposition at the end of the game, the only stat that matters. 

[ralphindevon]

9 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

We have one of the best away record in the league over the last couple of years, but away from home you are rarely going to dominate the opposition. I understand that some people see these as "backs to the wall performances" but they rarely are. I just get fed up with constantly being asked to apologise for having a good goalkeeper, good defenders and scoring more goals than the opposition at the end of the game, the only stat that matters. 

Agree, I was at QPR and don’t subscribe to the daylight robbery comments.

Yes they were the better side but at no point during that game did I think we were going to get thumped, with an inform keeper doing his job they didn’t have players good enough to score more than once.

And throughout the game I thought we could nick a winner because we did have strikers good enough. That’s what happened.

Edited October 3, 2021 by ralphindevon

[Olé]

Well that escalated quickly!

Describing the match and enjoying the match are two completely different things. My head nearly came off when Martin scored the winner, don't think for one minute I didn't enjoy the moment.

We're also creating more chances than the prior two seasons, and the team look more committed and is working far harder than some of the performances that passed players by during Covid.

But let's not re-write fixtures because of the results. We were battered by QPR and yesterday I thought Peterborough looked far better on the ball, pass and move, working clever combinations.

Our assistant manager even alluded to it in his post match interview. What was frustrating was that we repeatedly stood off them right to the very end - and could not produce the same quality.

We were quite direct for a slow side without pace or runners, and other than two times we got O'Dowda to the byline in the first half, we only posed any threat in the second half from free kicks. 

We didn't work anything from open play, yet Peterborough kept passing, retaining the ball and plugging away at us - not great given how easily we'd already let them create their first two goals.

After Wednesday's non-event at Millwall we were 5 minutes from having no answer for an ex-League One side. It took a moment of sheer bloody minded desire from Williams to create a winner. 

That was a brilliant release for us all - but not sure why I should suddenly re-write the City performance. Perhaps it looks different on Robins TV, but on quality of football we were second best.

It's a great thing we are playing badly and winning games. It's a good platform for us to work towards producing real levels of quality passing/possession that will get us through tougher games.

[Davefevs]

41 minutes ago, Olé said:

It's a great thing we are playing badly and winning games. It's a good platform for us to work towards producing real levels of quality passing/possession that will get us through tougher games.

This is part of the problem Rob.  When teams let us have the ball, we struggle to break them down.  It’s not necessarily teams parking the bus, because I think most teams fancy their chances against us (home or away)…I can’t remember the last team that I thought came to AG for a 0-0.  But a team with a good defensive shape, organised press, well-triggered press can force us into “passing it sideways and backwards”, and that becomes quite dull (understatement).  We might go CB to CB to FB to Winger, back to FB, into CM, back to CB, all without the other team feeling threatened.  The good teams do just that, but create a spare man and then they exploit it.  So we tend to go into the front pair more quickly, and try to play from there.  We did have some spells yesterday where we played off the direct ball, got possession in their third and played….it’s just we aren’t a team that capable of doing that through each third.  And I think as fans we’ve become a bit snobby that playing pretty football through the thirds is the only way.  Especially when a team like ex-Lg1 Peterborough appear to be able to do that.  But they are sat there with 8 points and we have 16.  It’s alright having footballing defenders, but if they can’t defend a corner / set-piece, you concede goals.  That was us last season at times.

What we did yesterday was what the likes of Preston, Millwall (pre-Rowatt), etc did to us under LJ early years.  We played the pretty football but they created the chances from nod downs, errors, loose passes and scored.

We we’re a bit better than that yesterday imho.

Our Avenue out from the back is Atkinson finding a hole, or Dasilva (ink yesterday) sucking his man in and going past him on the inside.  Kalas did that yesterday, a bonus.  What we are also seeing is Williams able to get on the ball in the final third and give confidence for Tanner to get forward.

So, I don’t think we are playing badly per se (not saying we are great either), we aren’t pretty.  Other teams are.  QPR we’re a joy to watch as an opposing fan.

[Olé]

2 hours ago, Davefevs said:

as fans we’ve become a bit snobby that playing pretty football through the thirds is the only way.  Especially when a team like ex-Lg1 Peterborough appear to be able to do that.  But they are sat there with 8 points and we have 16.  It’s alright having footballing defenders, but if they can’t defend a corner / set-piece, you concede goals.  That was us last season at times.

What we did yesterday was what the likes of Preston, Millwall (pre-Rowatt), etc did to us under LJ early years.  We played the pretty football but they created the chances from nod downs, errors, loose passes and scored.

Fair cop, you've got me bang to rights Dave. I am a football snob. I like possession, I especially like consistently good passing and movement. The vast majority of successful sides exhibit an ability to control the football and the game. I do hope for that kind of football - not just because of the perception of quality, but even just because we're force fed a diet of Robins Uncut #1-29 videos showing us practicing well drilled one or two touch passing moves or even training drills specifically designed to reward possession. And then we go into the real thing and appear fairly limited in our ability to put it together.

Your points are all well made - Peterborough are much worse off than us, yes; and we used to lose to teams who perceptibly played much worse and more scrappy football than us, yes; but it's been so long since I remember feeling confident about City getting the ball down and passing it with quality that I am jealous when I see supposedly inferior teams finding it much easier to put together good fluid football.  We actually have footballing defenders - Kalas run yesterday was sensational. I think of a number of our players as good footballers. But as you say elsewhere - we're direct and we struggle with the ball.

I'm quite content winning ugly but it's pointless coming on here to write gushing praise about the performance itself unless the football warrants it. And I'll savour it even more when they do put it all together.

[Red Exile]

9 minutes ago, Olé said:

I am a football snob. I like possession, I especially like consistently good passing and movement.

Me too...I'm enjoying this season, getting better results than we often deserve, playing with commitment, feels like a management team doing the right things and in difficult circumstances putting things in place for the future. All good.

What drives me mad is our constant squandering of possession. It's almost the hallmark of our play when things are tight, as they were at the end of the match yesterday. We win the ball and then regularly fail to retain the ball for more than a couple of passes. It smacks of anxiety, and pressure, or conversely the desire to constantly find a worldie through ball....when what is needed is a calm head and a bit of nursing possession. 

Keep the match reports coming. Thanks for taking the time.

[Robbored]

22 minutes ago, Olé said:

Fair cop, you've got me bang to rights Dave. I am a football snob. I like possession, I especially like consistently good passing and movement. The vast majority of successful sides exhibit an ability to control the football and the game. I do hope for that kind of football - not just because of the perception of quality, but even just because we're force fed a diet of Robins Uncut #1-29 videos showing us practicing well drilled one or two touch passing moves or even training drills specifically designed to reward possession. And then we go into the real thing and appear fairly limited in our ability to put it together.

Football is not known as the ‘beautiful game’ for no reason Ole

Most of us like watching possession football with good movement and crisp passing - nothing snobby about that. It’s almost a given in my opinion and exactly why I was so negative about GJ all those years ago - we rarely, if ever saw flowing football under his tutelage.

Two teams that played fantastic football spring to mind in the PL era - Arsenal under Wenger and Man City under Pep. Both were a joy to watch.

[22A]

View from the other side of the hill: my son and two grand sons were  in the London Road end yesterday cheering on Posh.

They came round for lunch today and i thought they had been to a different match. "City was rubbish yesterday", "There's no way you're gonna stay up playing like that" and that condescendingly, "That was a good result for you cuz not many teams come here and win".

[RedRock]

We’re winning ugly at the moment.

The number of times I’ve heard ‘Bristol City are the worst team we’ve seen those season’ on opponents forums is embarrassing … so common, that it’s clearly not just reactions from some spotty adolescent pee’d off that his own team has not won.

There is progress. For the greater part of last season, if a single pass over 3 yards found another red shirt that was something to celebrate. This season we’re managing 2 or 3 successful passes and on many occasions, some forward passing too.

I think the defence - keeper, back 3-4-5 and defensive midfield - has the individual players of sufficient quality now to achieve a comfortable mid-table Championship position. We’re still some way off moulding these individuals as a unit and ironing out some player flaws - but I’m reasonably relaxed about this area of the team, assuming our coaches have the nouse to deal with these issues.

We are massively lacking though in decent wide attacking players and forwards. There is always a danger that the absence of quality attacking forward players and play overloads the defence due both to lack of ‘up front’ ball retention and goals. I think we currently just have the attacking prowess to avoid that occurrence but the out balls ain’t easy for defence when the attackers are either awol, slow or sprinting around into blind alleys.

We will continue to play and win ugly until the attacking side of the game is addressed. We will also lose - frequently. 
 

I think we are going to have to get used to Ole’s critical match reports as we’re far from being anything that resembles a fluid, well-oiled machine. I did think he was a bit harsh on some of the individual scores on the Millwall game but sometimes judgements are coloured by the overall team performance/result.

In Nige I trust though, so I’m confident Ole will be back to his enthusiastic, jolly self in the Spring assuming we invest in a couple of decent attackers in the next window.

 

Edited October 3, 2021 by RedRock

[mozo]

4 hours ago, JonDolman said:

We created some good chances yesterday and against Fulham who certainly leave themselves open to conceding chances in how they play.

But against Millwall we had one chance gifted to us by a terrible back header by Wallace that Weimann took too long to get his shot off and was blocked.

QPR game we had 2 good chances in the entire game that were the goals.

Preston game we didn't create one good chance in open play.

Luton game we scored from a set piece but not one good chance created in open play.

I think I made a similar point in a different thread yesterday. If you're right that we create more chances now than previous years then blimey it must have been worse than I even thought!

But I guess it comes down to what era over those years we are comparing it to. No doubt we generally compare this season to last, but last season we had many of our best players injured and have since strengthened whilst getting rid of all the deadwood. And we still haven't really created much since those early games.

It's definitely something they have to look into, as we do play quite a positive way that I would hope would mean more chances created.

I guess it might be as simple as Nige not getting that striker he wanted.

I would go further in the direction of positivity JD...

Millwall wasn't a vintage display and I think memories are tainted by the last half hour in which we found ourselves chasing the game - against the run of play! - with 3 players subbed off injured and 2 coming on with very little gametime recently. But in the first hour we were the better team, surged towards the final third quite often without any killer instinct (striker!), and ended the game having had 10 shots, 6 corners and Millwall benefitting from some gifts from the football gods (and Bakinson).

Ole is correct to resist 'rewriting' our games but I'd propose noticing the good play and the size of the challenge. 

[HitchinRed]

It could have gone either way, and both keepers were forced into fantastic saves. I guess we just took one more of our chances than them. Don’t forget that this was some way off our best starting eleven, so more reasons to be cheerful than not.

[Davefevs]

54 minutes ago, Olé said:

Fair cop, you've got me bang to rights Dave.

I am a football snob. I like possession, I especially like consistently good passing and movement. The vast majority of successful sides exhibit an ability to control the football and the game.

I think we all do.  We lack a bit of composure, and I think to some extent it’s why we are playing with two forwards - (i) for the press and (ii) more chance of a punt forward finding a target if there are two targets.  It’s pretty basic.  If Wells was playing those punts might be down the side for him to run onto and get us up the pitch.  

I do hope for that kind of football - not just because of the perception of quality, but even just because we're force fed a diet of Robins Uncut #1-29 videos showing us practicing well drilled one or two touch passing moves or even training drills specifically designed to reward possession. And then we go into the real thing and appear fairly limited in our ability to put it together.

That’s a fair shout.  I’m hoping for that too.  Think it will evolve.  We only really try and play in the opponents third and games are pretty frantic as a result, with little to no control.  Certain players influence that. It’s a good debate if nothing else, better than OTIBers slagging each other off!  Without boring people with stats, West Brom are bottom of the league for 10+ passes in a sequence….they have had 9 all season!  We have had 33 (19th) some way behind Swansea’s 168 in 1st place.

 

[Davefevs]

5 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

But I think there's quite a number of games where we have not created much at all in open play.

I’m no rugby officianado, nor am I being facetious but goals can be scored from anywhere.  Teams might rather give away a corner or free-kick to stop a move / chance being created.  Why the rugby quote?

Back in 2003 when we won the Rugby WC, France criticised us for beating them in the semi final without scoring a try.  They scored one.

As I said I’m no Rugby expert, but watching the game, we had several “almost” moments where France decided giving away a penalty (3 points) rather than a try (5 plus potential 2) was acceptable.  They did it 3 or 4 times in try-scoring situations, and those plays alone with Wilkinson’s kicking would’ve been enough for us to win the game.  But they bleated about us scoring no tries, rather than them being second best.

City are gonna fast get a reputation for being dangerous from set-plays, and teams are gonna feel giving away cynical fouls in their own third are gonna get punished and might stop doing them.  That might lead to more open play.  Opposite forces at play and all that.  Bit like Stoke in the Delap days, when teams stopped trying to give them throw-ins.  Nathan Jones recognised our threat, and was critical of his team for fouling (Pring?) on the break going nowhere.

We are joint 14th for open play goals (8) and joint 2nd for set piece goals (5)….for some reason an own goal doesn’t count in the set plays total.

Football is never quite as simple as it is said to be.

[054123]

5 hours ago, Olé said:

Well that escalated quickly!

Describing the match and enjoying the match are two completely different things. My head nearly came off when Martin scored the winner, don't think for one minute I didn't enjoy the moment.

We're also creating more chances than the prior two seasons, and the team look more committed and is working far harder than some of the performances that passed players by during Covid.

But let's not re-write fixtures because of the results. We were battered by QPR and yesterday I thought Peterborough looked far better on the ball, pass and move, working clever combinations.

Our assistant manager even alluded to it in his post match interview. What was frustrating was that we repeatedly stood off them right to the very end - and could not produce the same quality.

We were quite direct for a slow side without pace or runners, and other than two times we got O'Dowda to the byline in the first half, we only posed any threat in the second half from free kicks. 

We didn't work anything from open play, yet Peterborough kept passing, retaining the ball and plugging away at us - not great given how easily we'd already let them create their first two goals.

After Wednesday's non-event at Millwall we were 5 minutes from having no answer for an ex-League One side. It took a moment of sheer bloody minded desire from Williams to create a winner. 

That was a brilliant release for us all - but not sure why I should suddenly re-write the City performance. Perhaps it looks different on Robins TV, but on quality of football we were second best.

It's a great thing we are playing badly and winning games. It's a good platform for us to work towards producing real levels of quality passing/possession that will get us through tougher games.

I still love your reports and appearances on OSIB

[Davefevs]

5 minutes ago, 054123 said:

I still love your reports and appearances on OSIB

Me too….

[054123]

I think the point is we are starting from the ground up with what Ashton left us.

You look at what you’ve and how best you can utilize it.

We’re nowhere near able to play fast flowing passing football.

We are trying to secure 50 points and begin to build a club again.

[italian dave]

1 hour ago, Robbored said:

Football is not known as the ‘beautiful game’ for no reason Ole

Most of us like watching possession football with good movement and crisp passing - nothing snobby about that. It’s almost a given in my opinion and exactly why I was so negative about GJ all those years ago - we rarely, if ever saw flowing football under his tutelage.

Two teams that played fantastic football spring to mind in the PL era - Arsenal under Wenger and Man City under Pep. Both were a joy to watch.

Just about to mention those two words ‘beautiful game’ too, RR. I agree: ‘pretty’ is often used as a dismissive term in the footballing context, and I’m never sure why.

It need to be effective of course: passing it backwards and forward across the line in your own half is neither difficult, pretty nor effective. And that’s what we saw a lot of the past couple of years. But goals like the one we got at Fulham 3-4 years ago when we passed the ball into the net leaving the Fulham keeper and full back literally on their backsides, or the goal we got at Blackburn ( I think!) after a 30+ passing move - a joy to watch.

I don’t think we’ve reverted to no longer being a passing side: I just think we are now trying to pass it forward more quickly and that is always going to carry greater risks of a misplaced pass. We still lose it too quickly to often as @Red Exile has said above. And in fairness to Peterborough yesterday I thought they also tried to move it forward quickly too, and often did it better than we did - in the first half. In the second half there was little chance of anything being crisp, just soggy!  

[italian dave]

6 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Never a penalty, contact game and Williams got his body in a good position.

Rob is a good observer of the whole of the game, not just focussing on City but why our opponents stop us too.  My thoughts are generally aligned to his.  His ratings are rarely a million miles from mine.  In a league where anyone can beat anyone, and we have a squad of mainly similar level players (and a few that aren’t), we are rarely gonna spank a team.  I watched on Robinstv and I thought we just about deserved the win, but tv and being there can give different views.  We created a really good set of chances yesterday, forced an opposition keeper into saves which was a big plus for me.

This isn’t a criticism ID, more an observation of OTIB generally….I agree with almost all that you write on here.

I think there has become a bit of view that opponents who pass it / play “better” (define better?) football than us deserve better results.  I’m not sure our fans have cottoned on to our new (and evolving) playing style, which attempts to be pretty direct, it’s about getting it forward.  Some of that dictated by our players, and Nige wanting his defenders to defend first and foremost. We are most definitely not a “split the centre-backs, play out from the back” team, quite a lot of our opponents are, hence a lot of the middling teams playing back 3’s.  The top teams can split centre backs playing a back 4 because they have better ball players at the back and superior midfielders.

Peterborough did pass it about nicely, they had good patterns, had good movement, but a lot of it was in-front of us, possibly due to Dembele and Szmodics.  They didn’t get behind us very often. After the first 15 minutes, when we sussed their movement, we spent a lot of the first half forcing them to turnover the ball playing into midfield.  Second half the weather made it a different game.

We aren’t an attractive watch from a “pure football” perspective, but I’m fine with that, but we have guts now, hard-work, physicality.  Having been crap from set-pieces for seasons, we are now a threat.  Getting the ball into the final third fairly quickly and getting a free-kick or corner is probably part of the plan.  We have scored 6 goals from set-pieces.  Last season we scored 5 in total (inc cup).  How often have we been the team conceding from them?

Theres a change going on….I know you know that….but I’m not sure many have noticed.  City’s “overall performance” is about more than “pretty passing”.  Expectations of how we are gonna play need to change alongside it.

I thought we thoroughly deserved to go in at h-t ahead, not 2-2.  Szmodics’s header was a killer….we were well on top having come from behind.  We’d fashioned good chances, opportunities for chances.

Not going to disagree with much there Dave. Although I felt 2-2 was about right at half time. Yes, we’d fashioned good chances, but hadn’t taken them. As we often said in the past when we snatched a 1-0 away win against the run of play, it’s all about putting the ball in the net. In Szmodic yesterday, Peterborough had the player who did that best of all; two great goals.

But that aside, not only do I agree, I’d go further: I think we’re a far better watch this season than we’re last, or the one before that. As I’ve said above, we’re still trying to pass the ball, just getting it forward quicker than we have done. And on occasions being prepared to run at opponents too. You have to do that to win the corners and free kicks that allow you the opportunity to score from set pieces!

We’ve got a way to go, of course. But I’m certainly not dismissive of our style now compared either to what it was, or to others. It’s about balance I guess. Fulham last week gave us a lesson in passing and in keeping possession - but it still felt we were as likely as they were to grab a winner in the last 10 minutes.

I just felt that Peterborough showed better and more effective movement than we did first half and pulled our defence into areas they didn’t want to be, creating the chances they took. It never felt to me like we were well on top to be honest - not until the rains came! 

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, JonDolman said:

Agree with what you say. But watching the games NIge is surely not content with how little threat we seem to have in open play in quite a number of games so far.

I expect whoever the striker is he wanted would have been to improve that part of our game.

Yeah, it’s not our strong suit at the moment, but I still see more goalmouth oohs and ahs than the last season or so.  We may see a slightly different style if Wells starts.

40 minutes ago, italian dave said:

Not going to disagree with much there Dave. Although I felt 2-2 was about right at half time. Yes, we’d fashioned good chances, but hadn’t taken them. As we often said in the past when we snatched a 1-0 away win against the run of play, it’s all about putting the ball in the net. In Szmodic yesterday, Peterborough had the player who did that best of all; two great goals.

But that aside, not only do I agree, I’d go further: I think we’re a far better watch this season than we’re last, or the one before that. As I’ve said above, we’re still trying to pass the ball, just getting it forward quicker than we have done. And on occasions being prepared to run at opponents too. You have to do that to win the corners and free kicks that allow you the opportunity to score from set pieces!

We’ve got a way to go, of course. But I’m certainly not dismissive of our style now compared either to what it was, or to others. It’s about balance I guess. Fulham last week gave us a lesson in passing and in keeping possession - but it still felt we were as likely as they were to grab a winner in the last 10 minutes.

I just felt that Peterborough showed better and more effective movement than we did first half and pulled our defence into areas they didn’t want to be, creating the chances they took. It never felt to me like we were well on top to be honest - not until the rains came! 

Hey, that’s fair enough.  I just felt their two worldies in the first half gave a bit of a false picture.  They played some nice stuff.  Nige and the coaches do need to look at how they stop getting overloaded.  I felt a couple of weeks ago that Pring played a bit too wide in general defensive play and therefore we were not able to shuffle across to our right quick enough.  Tough to tell on Robinstv if O’Dowda did similar.  I watch other midfield fours (albeit usually PL or international) shuffle across the pitch quicker than us.  Williams and Massengo together with James ought to help that.  QPR playing a 5212 / 3412 with Massengo in behind was always gonna leave us open.  I accept that, for the other benefits it gave us counter-attacking.  But in a basic 442 like yesterday it needs a bit of work.

But ultimately, I find myself being more entertained by this side than the past 2+ seasons.

[italian dave]

3 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Yeah, it’s not our strong suit at the moment, but I still see more goalmouth oohs and ahs than the last season or so.  We may see a slightly different style if Wells starts.

Hey, that’s fair enough.  I just felt their two worldies in the first half gave a bit of a false picture.  They played some nice stuff.  Nige and the coaches do need to look at how they stop getting overloaded.  I felt a couple of weeks ago that Pring played a bit too wide in general defensive play and therefore we were not able to shuffle across to our right quick enough.  Tough to tell on Robinstv if O’Dowda did similar.  I watch other midfield fours (albeit usually PL or international) shuffle across the pitch quicker than us.  Williams and Massengo together with James ought to help that.  QPR playing a 5212 / 3412 with Massengo in behind was always gonna leave us open.  I accept that, for the other benefits it gave us counter-attacking.  But in a basic 442 like yesterday it needs a bit of work.

But ultimately, I find myself being more entertained by this side than the past 2+ seasons.

I’ve no idea on O’Dowda - he couldn’t have been further away from where we were sat first half! You’d have had a better view on Robins TV, however poor that was! 

On the midfield more generally, agree - and that bit of work would be helped by an injury free spell for all our midfielders! 

[Davefevs]

Just now, italian dave said:

I’ve no idea on O’Dowda - he couldn’t have been further away from where we were sat first half! You’d have had a better view on Robins TV, however poor that was! 

On the midfield more generally, agree - and that bit of work would be helped by an injury free spell for all our midfielders! 

I thought their right sided player Joe Ward was allowed to drift around a lot.  His average passing position on Wyscout was in the centre circle.  Think he made the extra man that allowed Butler to overload our right, their left.  Was glad when he went off.

[mozo]

28 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

But ultimately, I find myself being more entertained by this side than the past 2+ seasons.

1000% agree (big percentage!)

And that was such an entertaining game in the round that it's not worth is over analysing it imo

[Redrascal2]

9 hours ago, italian dave said:

I’m going to defend @Olé - and yes I was there.

I thought Peterborough were better than many have given them credit for. I thought they moved the ball well, moved off the ball well, gave us plenty of problems when they were going forward as we struggled to track their runs and to close down space. Both sides had good spells of attacking football, but on the whole theirs seemed to be more prolonged than ours.

All that was mostly the first half though. The weather in the second half changed the game completely and certainly didn’t suit their style of play as well as it did ours. It stopped them making those neat little runs and short passing moves. It suited our style more, or maybe you could say we just coped with it better. 

Likewise, I didn’t think Williams or Martin were that good, certainly nowhere near 8s, first half. The game seemed to pass Williams by much of the time, and a couple of times he lost the ball on a way that would have driven some posters apoplectic if it had been Bakinson. But the worse the conditions got the more they seemed to relish a battle (which is what it became). I would probably rate Martin higher than a 5 just for the 10 minute spell when he played like a man possessed but otherwise wouldn’t argue with many of those scores. 

Overall, my view of the game wasn’t miles away from Ole’s across the whole 90 minutes. I wonder if some people are getting a bit carried away by the barnstorming finish in dreadful conditions. And like Ole I was quite certain that our first goal came from Atkinson!!!

I was also there and maybe I was carried away by a gutsy performance away from home when the team battled and never gave up and won 3 points on the road again. 

[downendcity]

To give us our full and proper name, as used by opposition fans,  we are Bristol We Should be Beating These) City.

As @Olé and @Davefevs have said, I’m sure we all want to see City stroking the ball around the park a la Man City. However, I also think we have to accept the reality of the sh1t hand that Pearson was dealt when he took on this job.

It’s a bit like the old joke when a motorist stops a farmer to ask the best way to wherever,  and the farmer replies “ well if I was going there  I wouldn't start from here”. If SL had told Pearson that he wanted a City team to play entertaining, attacking passing football, I suspect that Pearson would have said well I wouldn't start from this position - numerous players out of contract, a shambles on the pitch and demotivated and non-performing and mainly injured players.

However, start from there he had to, and his first step was to bring old hands in that he knew and trusted to bring experience and know how and that would influence the squad, with the right way to do things. Pearson has also put in place his plan, which I’m guessing was initially based on working with what he had, given the financial limitations, with an immediate priority  to change attitudes and mentality. I think that most agree that there has been a noticeable change in attitude, with a team going out showing grit and determination, so that we are no longer the soft touches of last season.

He’s said about Martin that he’s interested in what he can do, not what he can’t and I suspect he’s taken a similar view of other players, so has organised a way of playing that plays to our strengths, i.e. getting players to what they can do and not asking them to do what they can’t. It might not be giving us the sparkling football we ideally want, but it is certainly more effective and has made us a harder team to beat, but I’m hoping that we are currently seeing is only the first step along the road of developing Pearson’s own team, which I reckon will look a lot different, not just in personnel, but in playing style, even though it might take a while to get to that position.

While I never expected things to be as bad as the tale end of last season, I did expect us to be rattling around the bottom end of the table. That we are where we are is perhaps down to some luck along the way but also reflects the huge improvement Pearson has already made, and much quicker than I thought was possible. Now if he can just crack the home win jinx....................... 

 

 

Edited October 3, 2021 by downendcity

[downendcity]

4 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

Yep nothing wrong with going more direct. I think once we get it down in the opposing half we play some good stuff.

No doubt Posh played  some decent football yesterday, but to me it seemed that it created relatively little in terms of clear chances once they got around the edge of our penalty area, apart from their two goals of course! We did make their task easier by standing off and giving them to much time and space in our last third. 

On the other hand, while our build up was more “deliberate” and perhaps more direct, I thought we looked the more threatening team once we got in and around their penalty area and, to my eye, created more and better clear cut chances.

I suspect our attacking play might have been different had we had more pace up front and in midfield to stretch their midfield and defence. It was noticeable how things opened up when Scott came on and started to break tackles and run at their midfield and  back four.

 

[Davefevs]

2 hours ago, JonDolman said:

I thought Pring mainly dealt with Ward quite comfortably for most of the time Ward was on. Except that good first half off the ball run where he got on to a long ball over the top.

Pring did ok, was more referring to when he wasn’t being tracked by him.  Even saying that I thought Pring had a tough afternoon defensively.  Then again his first Championship start at LB.

Edited October 3, 2021 by Davefevs

[bcfc01]

1 minute ago, Davefevs said:

Pring did ok, was more referring to when he wasn’t being tracked by him.  Even saying that I thought Pring had a tough afternoon defensively.  Then again his first Championship start at LB.

We all see things differently and I have to say I didn't see it like that at all.

I thought Pring was the pick of the team in the first half and did well in the second half, defensively sound and got forward when he could. 

I like him a lot.

Having said that, I wasn't there and I didn't watch it live, just watched the whole recorded game.

[Davefevs]

3 hours ago, JonDolman said:

I think it was only that run Ward made that Pring was maybe a bit slow reacting to before the 2nd Peterborough goal, and there was quite a bit of play, the ball going back near the half way line as they passed it around before crossing it for Szmodics to head in.

When I said “when he wasn’t being tracked by him”, I didn’t mean Pring wasn’t tracking him, I wasn’t blaming Pring.  I expect players to pass on markers / runners….I don’t expect players to follow their man all over the pitch.  So, I am most definitely not talking about the goal, just generally. Ward drifted into little pockets and had too much time on the ball, especially 15-20 yards infield.  Ward isn’t always Pring’s responsibility.

What is also meant was Thompson being able to get forward too.

Shit happens, we did the same when Williams got Tanner in, or Pring threaded O’Dowda in….what I’m saying is that if we want to cut down overloads we have to be better in these types of scenario.  We have to put more pressure on the passer and receiver.

[oldstandrobin]

always good to read @Olé 's write up of the match, not being there I can only go on his regular good reports