Minority Report - Bristol City

I would like to start this report in an unusual way. I would like to say what a pleasure it was watching two teams using open 4-4-2 formations playing open attacking football. It was just like the old days for a while there.

Having said that, we saw two styles of 4-4-2. Barnsley played their usual style with two players central and two more wide players attacking the full backs. City played a narrow midfield diamond and they attacked us mainly down the centre. It made for a very interesting contrast of styles. Watkins and particularly Kent revelled in the extra space they had because of the opposition system. Both gave their respective full backs a very difficult afternoon and they were the main drivers for everything that went right during that first half. On the other hand, the extra City midfield player pushed forward between our centre backs became two or even three at times in the second half, and they were the main drivers for them getting back into a fascinating game. Because even though both our full backs played very narrow in order to support the two centre backs, their persistence eventually wore us down and dragged us out of position. The pedants will say that the first goal came indirectly from a cross, but the crossing opportunity was there because our full back were so narrow because they were supporting our centre backs. One of the reasons why City came back into the game in that second half was that whilst City were able to refresh their team with game ready players from the bench, all we had was the half fit and the inexperienced. In the circumstances, the team did really well to stay in the game long enough for Hammill to dig out an equaliser at the death. Wonderful stuff. And what about Davies’ save when he pushed the header onto the post. World Class.

It was immensely better from the team in red given the injuries and suspensions, and a special word for McDonald, Yiadom, Watkins, Kent, Winnall and Armstrong. For me they all produced their best displays of the season today, but there is a special mention for Morsy, who I thought was just immense. He had a rookie beside him and as well as holding his own position down he also found time to bail out the rookie on more than one occasion. Like all the rest, he tired towards the end, but what a shift they all put in.

I have given out the awards, but I think that I should also give out the raspberries. I do not like to see play acting, and even though I have said that Morsy had a fine game overall, trying to get a fellow pro sent off by faking a head butt is not on. Praise to the referee for sorting it out in the way he did. Hang your head in shame Sam Morsey. Even if Morsy’s head is hanging low, it should not be as low as that of City’s O’Neil. That elbow to the forehead of Winnall brought back memories of the shameful elbow on Iain Hume that almost cost him his life, never mind his career. Just like that one, it was so long before the ball arrived that it must have been pre-planned. The officials cannot even say that they saw this one because play was not even stopped. If there is any justice, O’Neil will be spending his next few Saturdays shopping with the wife.

Before I end, I should perhaps say a few words about young Kay. It was not the greatest debut that I can remember, but he stuck to his task and he saw it through under very difficult circumstances.

I really enjoyed that game!

 

Can't see much minority stuff in there, pretty much sums up what I think and I suspect several others too.

It was a great game, despite the "incidents", which was a mile away from League 1 football of last season. We're a good side and we're improving as the squad gets stretched, as more and more players get called upon. We'll do OK this season!

 

"Hello Liam Neeson, someone has taken Red Rain...please find him for us"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

"Hello Liam Neeson...someone has taken Red Rain"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

tekken lad shurley.

 

Hope you enjoyed the view from my seat. I had the pleasure of Day Two Induction at M&S Harrogate.

I know where I would rather have been

 

Still tekken.

 

Yes thank you, I had a great view of Sam Winnall getting into the Halloween spirit with fake blood. Really enjoyed it today, I thought it was top entertainment. I'll try and get one of the 2 empty seats in front of you for the Forest match!

 

No guarantee I'll make that one. Need to do some swapping negotiations between now and the new year to get any Saturdays off.

What have I done????

 

The Forest game is Friday evening, so you should be OK!

 

Hope so. I've yet to meet my new colleagues so will just have to hope that none of them are football fans

 

They didn't play 442. They played 41212. Other than that inaccuracy a summary which I would agree with. The glaring omission from your post is the spineless officiating and the idiot wilbrahim and the arrogant tomlin behaving like complete dickheads

 

As I said, "City played a narrow midfield diamond". The diamond is, as you say, 4-1-2-1-2.

I know that the modern phenomenon is to criticise referees, but I believe that in the main, they do a good job in very difficult circumstances. Those circumstances can be summarised by saying they are trying to keep order when the 22 players are trying to cheat. You have to remember that almost everybody sitting in the stands is biased, either one way or another, and if both sets of fans think the referee has had a bad game, then he has probably got most things right. Having said that, the referee today missed a very bad foul on Winnall, but apart from that I thought that he did OK. In fact, I think that most of the refs this season have done a good job. I thought that Wilbraham and Tomlin were able to look after themselves, but I thought football was a man's game, and I did not think that either crossed the line.

Honestly, if you assume that the referee is getting all his decision correct, it will allow you to concentrate much more on what the players are doing. The referee is there to see fair play. The fans are there as biased observers.

 

Red Rain Red Rain
You did say that they played a narrow midfield diamond but you also said it was good to see two sides "using open 442 formations playing attacking football". We must have been watching different games. They did not play 442. The 41212 diamond is not 442. 442 is a system designed to offer an outlet through two tradional wingers with two central midfielders. That how we play. That's not how Bristol played. That's how we play to good effect and today was a case in point. The system let us down against Fulham because the manager didn't change things quickly enough. When the manager briefly changed the system to 451 today they scored and he then reverted to 442. You have previously stated that you didn't think 442 could work in this division. How so? Particularly how so when today you state that it's good to see sides using open 442 formations. Your thought process is not as logical as you think it is.
With regard to your comments re refs. Yes they do get lots of uncalled for criticism. However you must surely recognise that there are bad ones out there and today we had a very bad one. For you to assume that all 22 players are trying to cheat is,frankly, ridiculous. Without wishing to sound biased I would love you to tell me which of our players were cheating today......and if you can answer that question, then use wilbrahim and tomlin as your benchmarks from the opposition.
If you don't think that wilbrahim crossed the line today then we have to agree to disagree about what is acceptable behaviour from a professional footballer. Today that player was constantly haranguing the spineless referee. From start to finish. Constantly. Tomlin was nearly as bad. For such a keen observer of the game I'm amazed that their antics didn't get your attention. The sad thing is,it's reasonable to assume that their behaviour was at worst planned by Johnson and at best sanctioned by him. If you think that neither of them crossed the line then as you have said previously, "you were not at the game".
By way of summary, your last para is offensive. I have never assumed that all the refs decisions are correct. How idiotic would that be? I try to be objective but also realise that I have a natural bias. Refs are there to see fair play. For sure. The problem is, sometimes they don't because they are spineless. Today we had a spineless ref who didn't impose his authority on the game.
Oh and please don't make assumptions about my observations on a game of football. I do not assume that all the refs decisions are correct and I do concentrate far more on what the players are doing.
The ref is there to see fair play. Really?
You're the one making assumptions in this case. Those assumptions are about my capacity to watch a game and not be objective. You don't know me so please give me the courtesy of not judging me.

 

Ps the fans are there to support their team

 

Different film altogether that one.

#TeamsLikeBarnsley

 

It seems to me that you are looking for an argument as your reasoning is very pedantic. City played 4 midfield players in a diamond pattern, therefore it is a different version of 4-4-2 which describes any system that has 4 players in midfield. When I describe a system as 4-5-1, it is a short hand that describes any of the many systems with 5 midfield players. I might then go on to describe the form of 4-5-1 used.

The reason that Hecky went briefly for 4-5-1 was that our central defensive shape was coming under great pressure because city had pushed 3 of their 4 midfield players into more advanced positions so that they could pressure our central defence. We were outnumbered in that area of the pitch and it was looking like we would concede again at any moment. Hecky decided that he needed to match their numbers in that area in order to try and nullify that imbalance. The strategy did not work because City scored anyway. He immediately reverted to 4-4-2 because we needed to get back into the game and 4-4-2 offered us a better chance of doing so. I favour using 4-5-1 because most of our opponents use 4-5-1 and we are therefore outnumbered in midfield, and particularly central midfield where our 2 are usually outnumbered by 3. This gives the opposition a greater share of possession, and as I have said many times, I have a natural tendency towards my team having an equal share of possession.

As for the rest, you obviously have a bee in your bonnet for some reason and I see no point in irritating you any further.