Still Positive Despite The Result

[Guest graham b]

Once more today City outplayed their opponents and only got a draw. Phillips had a nightmare first five minutes and we could easily have been two down. After that it was almost constant City pressure but mainly to no avail.

So why am I still positive? Because both of Danny's substitutions added significantly to our playing style. Roberts came on and played wide right and their left back suddenly realised he was in a game. Roberts used his pace well, down the line one time , cut in the next. All in all played like a winger. The Lita came on for the last five minutes and showed what a forward should do. Ran the channels, held the ball up, maintained possession and played in the midfielders. In fact if was difficult to understand that this was a raw 18 year old and that Peacock was the seasoned pro.

However my positive attitude can be quickly tempered by a number of questions. Why if we start with the same 11 do we change the formation? Why did we play Clist on the right? Why does Wilson persist with bringing on Leroy for just the last 5 minutes? Why did he bring off Miller and not Peacock? but lets try to stay positive.

Our squad is as strong as any in the league. QPR don't have the same depth of talent. Our defence is more than adequate. Hill was immense again today. We have two of the most exciting midfielders in the dvision in Tinnion and Wilkshire. If Roberts could repeat todays performance on the right and Brown could use his pace and ability to better advantage on the left in feeding our front two then things can only be positive. Our friont two must hold up the ball better and play in the midfielders. I beleive that Miller and Lita can both do that but Peacock can't.

Amazingly we are only 2 points off of a play off place despite greatly under performing to date. The 9 and 10 points to Plymouth and QPR is not insurmountable. Danny has already changed his strategy from ultra defensive to attackiing. Lets hope he can take it one step further now and give Lita and Roberts a chance to perform.

Graham B

[Godzilla]

Agree completely. We played well, we've played well for the past 5 games. And it's taken half the season for Wilson to find the right team, at a club he's been at for 4 years.

Some forum members like to point out how much he sees the players in training etc. while pointing out how much more about the game he knows than all of us.

Well ***** that, because it's a joke, and the guy's a fool. And the worst thing? Sacking him won't solve a bloody thing.

[SimplyRed]

because it's a joke, and the guy's a fool. And the worst thing? Sacking him won't solve a bloody thing.

Well, we're all armchair managers, aren't we?

But who is the bigger fool?

He's in the job - been there, done that and got the teashirt, et cetera...

...versus the opinion of someone who (I assume) has never been involved in professional football, (I assume) does not hold a coaching badge and (I assume) probably watches most games through the mist of a few pints?

I know whom I'd pick!

By all means have your own opinion, but don't start believing your own rhetoric.

[edson]

However my positive attitude can be quickly tempered by a number of questions. Why if we start with the same 11 do we change the formation?  Why did we play Clist on the right? Why does Wilson persist with bringing on Leroy for just the last 5 minutes? Why did he bring off Miller and not Peacock? but lets try to stay positive.

I'd like to stay positive, Graham, but I can't see beyond the points you make here, which were the most telling of yesterday's game.

Miller was superb, a class act who is already a better player than Peacock and who will go on to be one of the great goalscorers at this club. Despite his excellent close control, his ability to link play and win knockdowns plus the fact he had just scored a goal that owed as much to determination as to skill, Wilson still kept the huffing, puffing Peacock on and withdrew Miller. I was incensed at this ludicrous, narrow-minded favouritism. Okay, we can't say it cost us the two points, but it sure as hell didn't help us win them.

The game was crying out for Lita's pace, and he should have been introduced at the expense of Peacock, immediately after we equalised. He was brought on in the 86th minute and, despite that, he created more opportunites in four minutes then Peacock had in the previous 86.

Secondly, after reintroducing Clist, who has played well in a 3-5-2, Wilson decides to pick the same players but change the formation to 4-4-2. An extrodinary decision that left the players confused and lacking any width on the right hand side. To add insult to injury, Clist was then withdrawn, just in case his confidence hadn't been shattered quite enough. I suspect we have now seen the last of Simon Clist this season, as Wilson justifies his future exclusion by saying he was ineffective against Rushden. Well yes, he would be, you changed his role and played him out of position, Danny.

Okay, I await the "you don't know as much as Wilson, so shut up" replies, which are always worth reading, but if Wilson knows so much, lets's see him bring us promotion, as I'm damn sure any one of us could 'manage' this squad into 8th or 9th place in a poor Division Two.

Wilson has had a huge amount of money to spend, he's got a large and talented young squad (which he is still talking about adding to. Frankly, I wouldn't give him another penny if it was my decision) and, according to a number of people on here, he is the fountain of all knowledge relating to Bristol City. Fair enough, then, if he is so good at his job, we'll be in Division One next season.

If we aren't though, then I wonder if he'd be so good as to take his tactical mastery elsewhere.

[chalky]

<br /> I'd like to stay positive, Graham, but I can't see beyond the points you make here, which were the most telling of yesterday's game.

Miller was superb, a class act who is already a better player than Peacock and who will go on to be one of the great goalscorers at this club.

Agreed, but yesterday all the balls were threaded through to peacock and not Miller, did anyone notice this aswell?

[gater2]

Well ***** that, because it's a joke, and the guy's a fool. And the worst thing? Sacking him won't solve a bloody thing. 

Totally agree. Everyone's saying how they want him out, but who will we get if he goes, there are no good affordable managers who would want to come to city.

[Tales From The Front]

A few points I wuld like to add it that Rushden were a shocking one dimensional team who any club with promotion asperartions should win aggainst.

Secondly the performance particularly the last 25 mins reinforced what most would agree with is that the players at the managers desposal are good enough for the job. But as so often under Wilson the team only performs in spasmodic burts.

It is the managers manipulation of the squad that has and continues to be questioned. I agree totally with Edson assesment, the Miller substitution was quite unbelivable.

Finally I wish the players would have more confidence to shoot from distance. Woodman got into a couple of good positions only to hesitate. I noticed Matt Hill telling him to have a pop. Roberts last effort should have won it for us. Yes he got it on target, but had he shot a la Miller i.e into ther roof of the net, the points would have been coming west. And they really should have done yesterday.