Forever Bristol City Podcast

More of this and a whiff of relegation will become a stench!

Ian, Mark & DaveP discuss another fruitless trip to England's 2nd City and again it is the manner of the defeat giving most cause for concern.

Were we OK for the first hour? Not really although some might argue otherwise. The 2nd & 3rd goals for the home side were down to weak defending and City played out the game in a manner akin to that look of being bereft of ideas, leadership that followed in the few minutes after Barnsley took the lead on Saturday.

Nigel Pearson watched the whole game from the stand and questions are going to be asked about him remaining in charge with increasing voracity.

Bottom line is can City win 10 from 30 to secure the 50 points needed to avoid the drop

 

 

All hail the Austrian - Barnsley [H] reviewed

A brace, his third of the season, from Austrian international Andreas Weimann earned City the points to end their wretched run of home form.

Drink up thee Cider was played to an emptying stadium for the first time in over 600 days but City were far from convincing against lowly opponents and if they had lost the game 2-4 it would have been a fair reflection on the game as a whole.

As it was two well struck goals in 5 minutes just before half time were enough to keep City mid-table with a third of the season gone and just 5 points outside the playoffs.

Ian, Mark and DaveP discuss the match action and look forward to two games on the road in the midlands this coming week.

The misery is building for Big Nige - WBA reviewed

Third defeat in 8 days at the Hawthorns as City went down 3-0 in a performance that was as bad as anything we saw in the dark days of last season.

Ian, Mark, Lezz & DaveP discuss a shapeless, spineless performance and debate the wider picture that is emerging from the Pearson era.

We may have players of lesser ability, particularly compared with parachute payment supported clubs, but we're seeing our team play boring football lacking any identity and still a question mark exists over overall fitness levels as we seem to be brushed aside at will by opponents.

On paper Pearson looked a good appointment but how come clubs with less resources and less experienced men at the helm like Luton & Coventry are competing at this level better than we are with 1/3rd of the season gone

Remember, this is a project .....

Recording this podcast some 15 hours after the final whistle meant DaveFevs, Mark, Ian & DaveP were in a relatively philosophical mood when dissecting last night's action at Ashton Gate where 50 seconds of madness in injury time against resurgent Forest saw City snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

We ask how many of the current team would get in the successful 2017/18 pre-Christmas line up along with discussing how Nigel should set up the team in another tough test at the Hawthorns this coming weekend.

We agree Nigel is still the man with Ian the only dissenter with his jury's out view.

Barnsley next up ..... a win after 17?

 

2nd best but we didn‘t even compete - Bournemouth [H] reviewed

It was never going to be easy against unbeaten league leaders Bournemouth but the early departure of Joe Williams after just 13 minutes seemed to knock the stuffing out of a City side whose winless home run is 16 games!

Ian & DaveP discuss the match action starting with the fact that the side were set up wrong to begin with. By the end City were so outclassed that the visitors were knocking the ball around like it was a practice game.

We discuss the fact that 12 years ago the Cherries were struggling in League 2 - is it just taking an £8M fine for breaching FFP for one season that created a platform for 5 seasons in the top flight?

We look forward to Tuesday's game at home to Forest - that home win may still elude as with the visitors resurgent under Steve Cooper by winning 4 of the last 5

 

 

 

 

City successful on the road again in a 5 goal thriller at soggy Peterboro

Ian, Lezz & DaveP debate an enthralling game at London Road where Chris Martin answered his critics by grabbing the winner and late saves from Dan Bentley meant it stayed that way in another match where we weren't that convincing.

Sitting in 9th with a quarter of the season gone is no mean feat at this still early stage of the Pearson era but we were defensively ragged at times with the opposition again allowed far too many crosses.

Joe Williams played a full 90 minutes and at last showed the sort of form that proves what an asset he is and George Tanner appears now to have made that right back spot his own as well as scoring his first goal for the club.

The international break offers time for the injured to recover before a testing 3 games in 8 days against leaders Bournemouth, a resurgent Forest [both at home] and WBA. 

 

We lost and it was poor - a review of Millwall [A]

This defeat had echoes of the rubbish that we thought we had seen the back of!

Ian, Mark & DaveP discuss a dire game at the Den, preview Peterborough and predict a points haul in the five games that follow the international break before there's another one!

 

KP Nuts Fulham with neat finish as City get point against classy opponents

Ignoring the fact that Fulham hit the woodwork three times and missed a number of other gilt edged opportunities then this was another wholehearted display by City which was worthy of a share of the spoils in itself.

Ian & DaveP discuss the match action where the unbeaten run was extended to 5 games but City are now winless in 15 at Ashton Gate

We praise an impressive sub appearance by Joe Williams and salivate at the prospect of a midfield trio with him James & Massengo as the season progresses.

Two trips on the road before the next international break. The games at Millwall and Peterborough are also previewed

APOLOGIES FOR SOME ANNOYING SOUND ISSUES IN THIS EPISODE

Hoops destroyed by Nahki‘s late strike

Having already been victims twice this season to stoppage time goals it was City's turn to mete out the hurt and experience the joy as sub Nahki Wells sent 2000 travelling fans into raptures with his stylish late winner.

David, Lezz, Mark & Ian celebrate the win but at the same time consider City's overall play which allowed 26 shots [11 on target] to pepper the goal area.

We marvel at another all action display from Massengo, several top class saves from Dan Bentley, a competent debut for Gordon Tanner in the troublesome right back spot and a successful return to the first team for Bakinson.

The Fulham game is previewed as City look for their first home win in 15 games.

The sum of the parts

Ian & Mark discuss the Luton game which saw the winless home run extend to 14 games after Dan Bentley's error allowed the Hatters net a much deserved injury time equaliser.

If Luton had gone in 4-1 up at half time it would have been a reflection of their goal threat and it wasn't a case of one player having a stinker [*] of a performance but just a collective lethargy that bought unwelcome post match comments from Nathan Jones.

HNM & Cam Pring were the bright sparks but for City right now the sum of the parts is not making a decent whole.

The guys give their view on what needs to change with tough games coming up at QPR then home to league leaders Fulham.

[*] - I don't attach that label to Alex Scott who was played out of position and joins a trio of youngsters taken off early by Nige [Towler & Bakinson]