Link to a report from a City fan at the game yesterday. http://www.otib.co.uk/index.php?/topic/193923-match-report-two-points-and-our-dignity-lost/ Full text below. 89 days ago City waved the white flag at Villa Park and were taken to pieces, losing 5-0. Today we actually managed to allow a poor side to have far more chances than even Villa enjoyed during that battering, and yet escaped with a scarcely deserved draw, having produced probably our most chaotic performance of the season. Even with a last minute equaliser this was not a point gained. This time, unlike Villa, there was not fitness or any other excuse to be so exposed. Framed by our defending (or lack of), it was an undignifying spectacle. It was apt that Josh Brownhill scored the decisive goal to snatch a point because from the very start he was the only player who could be proud of his efforts. He was badly let down by most of his teammates, who appeared to still be on international break even at 430pm. In particular our defence, who produced probably the most amateur and calamitous afternoon of defending that I can remember since the McInnes / Foster / Fontaine days. It is no surprise that we had to come from behind twice, as we appeared determined to let Barnsley run up a Villa style score, in fact either side of half time despite having plenty of players in the box we contrived to let Barnsley create 3 or 4 free headers yards out, it was only their propensity to head straight at Frankie that meant we weren't well out of sight within the hour. As it was, we scored two superb goals but you certainly couldn't tell which team was competing at one end of the table and which the other. From the start Barnsley came at us, led by a giant Steve Jones looking striker leading the line and another two making diagonal runs in behind us. Moncur was racing out of midfield to tee up moves as they made us look distinctly average when they got 4 strung across the front and had the spare man for both the cross and the header (something we failed to do all game). An early corner was met at the near post by Frankie and one of our defenders, sadly they met each other and Steve Jones lookalike headed in. The most we offered in return was a brief incursion as Paterson got in on the right and his quick cross flashed across goal and was cut out quickly by their defender - something ours would fail to do all game. But on the whole Pack was dropping deep to get his foot on the ball and we were reduced to long balls - Reid in particular as poor as I've seen him for control - and poor touches or passes whenever we got out of our half, while at the other end Barnsley's forwards were dragging us all over the shop by fair means, or foul (dive). We'd spend half an hour looking like the relegation threatened team, second best with the ball. Second best without the ball. We had a big away following and made a lot of noise but the football did not justify it. Yet after the half hour it would change. First we cut out an attack and sent Pato down the left. He slowed things down and let players pour forward, before sending a cross deep to the right. Brownhill took on the ball and flicked it over not one but two defenders in the box - shades of Gazza 96 - before firing a shot at the keeper. A minute later Pack collected the ball in their half - further forward than his by then customary position starting attacks in front of our own box with no one to pass to. He ran crossfield before slipping it into Famara outside the box on the left. Fammy, who had struggled to get into the game, had his first chance to run at a defender. It was decisive. Two strides, past the defender, looked up, fired a rising shot into far corner from 20 yards. Truly fantastic goal. But largely fortuitous for what we contributed to the match. Before half time our defence would remind us they were still on international break. Barnsley would break through the middle and City would drop six into the box all racing after the same ball like headless chicken. The home side would spread the ball wide right, switch play to the other wing and cross into the box from where the big striker would have a free header on goal from yards out. All this whilst we had six across the box. Our ability to let Barnsley craft clear chances in spite of all our players was both embarrassing but a feature of the game we'd see more of. After half time we emerged with purpose and Bobby Reid in particular looked like he had been reminded to find space. A quick attack saw him control the forward ball, switch left, drag his marker, exchange the ball with Joe Bryan, who raced inside on the edge of the box, and lifted a cross to the far post which flashed just wide. That was all it took for Barnsley to remember that our defenders were still on their week off. Within ten minutes we'd see two more point blank Barnsley headers off crosses, Fielding saving one at close range that for a second looked all the world a goal. City had a few periods of attack aided by Pack and Smith out of a midfield we were often second best in, but with nothing like the incision that Barnsley achieved. And on the hour another loose City touch was cut out and quickly sprung the impressive Moncur, who raced upfield before looping the ball into the big Steve Jones nuisance up front, who went clear on goal and drew a desperate block from Frankie. City had a couple of chances - often from the work of Brownhill or Pack, our only two players of any note. First Bryan would take down a clearance outside the box after a smart move and flash a shot just over, and later Pisano of all people would steal in at the far post and almost glance a header in on goal from the best of what had been an afternoon of poor crosses. But these sandwiched yet another Barnsley free for all as City defenders watched them break, cross and head at goal without action. By now Kent was on, doing his clown act of flying around at 100mph without doing anything of any use. Our only hope to win the game came from Pack's distribution out of midfield and Brownhill's endeavour around their box. For no good reason LJ destroyed that by not only taking Pack off, but surrendering a midfield that we were already second best in, in order to add an extra striker in an area where Fam, and in particular Reid, had achieved very little. Djuric's presence was nothing compared to the foolhardy abandonment of midfield and when added to the lethargy and flat-footedness of City's defence - bordering on the comical - it was a small miracle we weren't 4-1 down. Yet Barnsley would get a deserved lead with ten to go, thanks to yet more of the same hopeless defending. Not for the first time Pisano would show the winger inside, then let him go, and again from the cross City would watch as Barnsley reacted fastest, the Steve Jones lookalike nodding down and his teammate finishing amongst a static defence, when to he frank our back line was so poor he could have setup two teammates for the finish too. The home fans erupted. This was abysmally poor defending and effort set against such loud and positive away support, and for a moment I thought I heard a semblance of booing - this was certainly the poorest that we have looked since the darkest days of last season. The sort of display that'll have the beds sheets out again. And that was that - or at least it should have been. We were even more disjointed for the final stages of the game with even less midfield presence, Kent in full on headless mode, and Barnsley well in control of our three isolated strikers. But Brownhill, who had put teammates to shame with his will to actually affect the game, wasn't finished, and although there were very few chances for us to turn the game, Joe Bryan was seeing some joy on the left, and when his cross was nodded back across the box, Josh, by far our best player, stretched every sinew to get his head under the ball and arch a looping header into the far corner. Brownhill deserved the goal. City didn't. Barnsley continued to look the more likely to add to their lead in the last exchanges and the final whistle was probably greeted by more relief from City than Barnsley, for whom our central defenders may have for a moment woken up and thought it was a whistle for kick off, such was their failure to participate in the preceding 90 minutes. It was a lucky point in the context of the game itself, but measured against the season it should be alarming, easily the worst we have defended for years and as angry as City have made me this season. Fielding 6 - Poor for the first, some bad decisions with chance to release the ball quickly, but decent handling behind a non existent defence Pisano 4 - Very poor defensively, added little going forward Wright 4 - Very poor defensively, added little full stop Baker 4 - Very poor defensively, added little full stop Bryan 5 - Added something going forward and did a bit better 1-on-1 at the back, but part of an awful defence Smith 6 - Tidy in places with his close control on the ball, but too often drifted out of the game with Pack deep and everyone else marked Pack 7 - Apparently our only player who can pass the ball more than 5 yards. The only one with any poise but had to drop so deep to participate Brownhill 7 - For effort alone, no one was on his wavelength nor as interested as him in competing. Must surely wonder why he bothers. Paterson 5 - A few nice runs but little impact and less effective out left. Hurt himself before going off. Reid 5 - One of his poorest games this season, touch and decision making way off in the first half, a bit better second half but shows how influential he is when he and we are so bad Diedhiou 6 - Cracking goal did very little else Kent 4 - Headless chicken Djuric 5 - Little time or service
Thing is, reading that, and the responses about how much we deserved to win, plus the other results not being favourable yesterday, just leaves me more frustrated than ever.
Me too in fact yesterday convinced me even more than the Millwall game that we are going down. I hope I am wrong but we appear to be completely unable to win a game of football.
Yep. Thats how it looks to me too. Yesterday was much much improved on previous efforts and we still couldn't win. The number of missed chances we will look back on and rue if we go down......truly depressing. This was all so unnecessary.
I watch their board from time to time because its an excellent lively forum. It was pretty funny watching their view develop. Just like replaying time, one year on. When he first signed in January, they were raving and thought they had signed a mercurial genius. Fast and mazy, they couldn't get enough. Fast forward a few weeks and they have realised he just runs up blind alleys and has zero end product. Now they just think he's useless.
Interesting view of our second goal. Hadn't realised that there was a cross out from wide and Moore headed down for the assist...
Fair play to whoever wrote that as, other than not mentioning the (non)red card incident about 5 minutes in, they've got that about right. City were poor and seemed intent on letting us create chances by gifting us the ball in their own half or standing off, but as usual we didn't take the majority of them and were punished. As Mario further up the page says, yesterday more than ever makes me think we're not staying up. Because even when we play well we just can't win.
