The Blobster
Prediction Champ
Good point, could have been 3 .
Bristol City
- Thread starter ivoralljack
- Start date
CroJack
Key Player
Yes.
CroJack
Key Player
We should appeal that red card. It can't be red.
Very good point. I'm happy with that. Well done, lads. And it sounded as though we had the better chances with Brizzle still behind us and their home fixture against us now blown. As for that fcuking red card.......
Point of concern though. After scoring for fun early in the season, we've now gone 2 games without a goal and I don't want to see a trend starting where we struggle to score. Cooper and his staff have to study the tapes and determine whether it's down to poor finishing, lack of movement in and around the box to find space or, or, or or, or, are we lapsing back to the bad old days where our midfield regularly created zilch!
Whatever the reason this has to be sorted pdq because we now seem to have the basis of a side to challenge the top at the end of the season. But we won't be doing that without goals wherever they come from.
Point of concern though. After scoring for fun early in the season, we've now gone 2 games without a goal and I don't want to see a trend starting where we struggle to score. Cooper and his staff have to study the tapes and determine whether it's down to poor finishing, lack of movement in and around the box to find space or, or, or or, or, are we lapsing back to the bad old days where our midfield regularly created zilch!
Whatever the reason this has to be sorted pdq because we now seem to have the basis of a side to challenge the top at the end of the season. But we won't be doing that without goals wherever they come from.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
Ayew's only productive role for us was a the #9. In that role he had specific responsibilities, didn't have to defend, could roam as he needed to and could do so high up the field without choking off other players' space. In any other role, for us, he has shown himself to be undisciplined and doesn't do much out side the box ... it's inside the box where he can be most dangerous ... everywhere else he's of very little value.
CroJack
Key Player
It's not poor finishing. We are not creating chances, it's simple like that. We are in the bottom of the league for expected goals, which means we don't create many good chances.
So the right question is why don't we create chances? Well, we are far away from football we played under Potter.
1. We lack tempo in our play. We are simple too slow when we have possession
2. We don't use direct passes through the middle of the pitch like we used to do under Potter
3. We are one-dimensional in our play. Almost all our attacks can be easily anticipated. The ball goes either from Rodon to Bidwell or from Hoorn to Roberts. Our full-backs are usually under pressure and the ball goes back to Rodon and Hoorn. And then again. When our full-backs or wingers (Celina and Ayew) get the ball further up the pitch on the flanks it's normally too late to cross the ball, and when we manage to put the cross in then we don't have enough bodies in front of the goal and no one at the far post. Then we lose possession and we repeat the process. It's boring football we play.
4. I'd argue that the football we play right now is much closer to Monk's than Potter's ball.
5. We lack off ball movement. It's not enough that two or three players move - the whole team should move forward and play in opposition half. We have to take risks.
6. Whilst Fulton is a good tackler, he should be contributing more in the attacking build up. He doesn't play as a central midfielder. Actually we play with two deep lying defensive midfielders. Our attacking midfielder lacks support in the central and attacking areas of the pitch. No wonder Celina and Byers struggle to create something. They are pretty isolated in front of opposition box. Swansea have never played with two deep lying midfielders. Now we do. We should try to play Grimes - Byers -Celina or Grimes - Carroll - Celina combo.
7. We don't do enough runs into opposition box. When we do we always create good chances.
Here are the the good things:
1. Our goalkeeper is collecting crosses and,
2. We don't concede from set-pieces.
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Behindthegoal
Key Player
Ayew made himself busy second half. Bidwell was nowhere near the man for that red card. Certainly their right back did a nastier job on Celina early on.
CroJack
Key Player
I agree, though I think our inability to create chances is more complex.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
Look on the bright side. So far this season: Leeds have dropped 5 points at home, we have dropped 3. We have dropped 4 points away.
CroJack
Key Player
Reading, Charlton, Stoke and Barnsley next. Not too difficult games.
IanABS94
Guest
As Cro said above we're finally getting some games that on paper are more appealing than the past ones. To be 2nd place with the games that we've played is a great achievement even though we've come down a bit since Leeds. Unable to watch the game today but seems like it was an okay performance that could've gone either way with us being the likely of the two to get the winner. I would've taken a point at Ashton Gate from the start so have to be pleased with it now. Never an easy place to go, especially for us.
CroJack
Key Player
It is, especially when we know we haven't played our best football since the Birmingham game. Who would've thought we would be in second place after 8 games?
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
Just saw the highlights ... if Bidwell’s tackle at the end was a red, then that City b#&&tards tackle in the first half was a clear red.
Ridiculous double standard .
Ridiculous double standard .
Some stats from the game:
POSSESSION: 43-57 SHOTS: 11-15 OT: 2-2 CORNERS: 2-7 FOULS: 8-10 GOALS: 0-0
That's a decent set of figures playing away against a team in good form and just below us in the table. Combining the highlights with radio commentary and various media reports, I get the impression that we were pretty unlucky not to get 3 points from the game. We certainly had the better chances and, my genuinely unbiased opinion, is that we were worth the win. A very good effort from the lads.
But we must address our lack of invention in creating chances. Strikers thrive on confidence and the longer Borja goes without a goal the more this will diminish. He's doing what he can by working hard for the team and I'm sure he'll start hitting the net again - the back of it I mean. But I'd certainly like to see us creating more clear cut stuff from open play. I think it will come.
POSSESSION: 43-57 SHOTS: 11-15 OT: 2-2 CORNERS: 2-7 FOULS: 8-10 GOALS: 0-0
That's a decent set of figures playing away against a team in good form and just below us in the table. Combining the highlights with radio commentary and various media reports, I get the impression that we were pretty unlucky not to get 3 points from the game. We certainly had the better chances and, my genuinely unbiased opinion, is that we were worth the win. A very good effort from the lads.
But we must address our lack of invention in creating chances. Strikers thrive on confidence and the longer Borja goes without a goal the more this will diminish. He's doing what he can by working hard for the team and I'm sure he'll start hitting the net again - the back of it I mean. But I'd certainly like to see us creating more clear cut stuff from open play. I think it will come.
CroJack
Key Player
I must disappoint you. Bristol are not a team in a good form. They have overperformed in terms of points just like Swansea. Here is the truth about the teams who are in form in the Championship this season:
xG table shows that Swans should have earned 6 points, and my quality shots table shows that we should have earned 11 points.
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Behindthegoal
Key Player
That's really interesting CJ, thanks. It works on the same basis as Lawro's "league table", separating prediction from reality.
Speaking for Swansea only, it seems that our finishing is more effective and our defence more obdurate than expected?
Speaking for Swansea only, it seems that our finishing is more effective and our defence more obdurate than expected?
CroJack
Key Player
1. We are extremmely effective, which is good, but we don't create many chances. Reality is that such an effectiveness is not sustainable in the long run. In the real world of football you have to create 10 good chances to score let's say 2 or 3 goals. We don't have Messi who creates something from nothing.
2. Our defence is both good and bad. We have a good goalkeeper and we are throwing bodies on the line to block shots, which is good, but we don't prevent opposition from creating good chances, which is bad.